


The break we deserve

by Angsty_dude



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Choking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Erik is a Sweetheart, Erik is a kinky bastard, Erik just wants to take care of him, Fluff and Smut, Hero is tired, Hero | Luminary is Named Eleven | El (Dragon Quest XI), Implied Relationships, Jealous Erik, Kinky, M/M, Mia loves her brother and his boyfriend so much, Shameless Smut, Spoilers, Sylvia | Sylvando Ships It, They just can't stay off each other, Wholesome, a friend requested this, belly bulge, can you blame him?, kinda gross?, they deserve to be happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:40:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24179095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angsty_dude/pseuds/Angsty_dude
Summary: Act III spoilers!!Eleven is exhausted and who could blame him? Being the Luminary is a tiresome job but not to worry, Erik will make sure he gets the domestic break he deserves. Or maybe more. These two just can't stay off each other.there is nsfw in every chapter!!!
Relationships: Camus | Erik/Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Graig | Hendrik/Sylvia | Sylvando (Dragon Quest XI)
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

Cobblestone will always be my sanctuary, my sleepy little home that will always remind  
me of a time where I was blissfully unaware of the weight that rests on my shoulders. Though, it's hard to see my home town without remembering stumbling upon its destruction with Erik, without thinking of trying to stumble forward in life believing my mother and childhood best friend were dead, without seeing the Last Bastion, without thinking of those who gave their lives trying to defend against monsters in the other timeline, without- I shake my head with a hefty groan and try to silence my mind. Thoughts like that have been running rampant lately. I’m not sure why my duty has suddenly begun to feel so heavy, especially when I’m anywhere near home. All I want to do is slump into Amber’s arms, my dear mother, and cry until I lose my voice. I’d give anything to stop trudging along for a few days and slump into bed and maybe just not move for weeks. I dont hate being the Luminary, I have no problem following in the footsteps of Erdwin. I just want a break, a break from the endless horrors I keep being met with. A bigger dream than one would think. I thought I had finally achieved peace when I finally slain Mordegon but it feels almost like that would have been too easy. I was given a chance to undo my mistakes, a chance to save Veronica all the others who died on the fateful day Yggsdrasil fell and I gladly accepted it. I feel so much guilt at the mere concept of regretting that decision, swallowing hard and carefully running my fingers through my hair. I felt so alone after I travelled back in time, the bonds with my friends felt so shattered. They smiled at me with no idea of all the pain that I had now endured alone, how much pain is wracking my brain even now. I can’t stop thinking of all the bad and I hate it, wishing I could go back to when we all hurt and ached together. With time we grew together again but yet, I can never tell them what I had done just so they could be happy and alive right now. It sits bitter on my tongue to think of hiding something so huge from them but alas, it seems to be my burden and my burden alone. I rub my temples, forcing myself to think of some good. At the moment I’m lying in my bed in Cobblestone, quiet and left alone for a short while. Erik is out cold in the bed next to mine, casting a glance toward my new room mate. His blue hair is ruffled from sleep and he has his face buried into the pillow, bundled tightly in blankets while snoring peacefully. Seeing him look so comfortable and happy brings a brief smile to my face. I glance back up at the wooden beams above my head and am soon engulfed in more bad thoughts. I should be grateful to have my best friend as my roommate but yet, I can’t help but squirm at the thought, In order to even be able to offer the opportunity to him I had to fight my worst fear, as per Drustan’s deal. I’m bone tired just thinking of the battle, aching in every single way to think about fending off physical versions of my own emotions. I roll over in bed, hugging myself and squeezing my eyes shut, trying desperately to sleep it all off. The luminary should be stronger than this, I can’t cry alone in my room, let alone at the risk of waking Erik. Oh, you know what, I could think about Erik. My best friend makes me always feel fuzzy, relaxing some to think about him. The last few days with him have been a nice moment of tranquility, the closest thing to a break I have gotten ever since I stepped into Heliodor for the first time. Spending time on the Tor with him is the happiest I have felt in too long, feeling my face warm just to think about the way he smiles at me. For a moment, I’m relaxed enough to sleep, curling up with happy thoughts of our adventures. Alas, my heart begins pounding hard in my throat when a not so good memory flashes through my head. Erik nearly died today. He was being a show off, being the loveable idiot he always is, and nearly fell off the Tor joking about our jump in Heliodor. I can’t help but think about what would have happened if I hadn’t managed to catch him, tears welling in my eyes before I can stop them. If Erik had died today, where would I be now? Planning for a funeral, breaking the news to his little sister- I stop, the thoughts too much to bear. The dam bursts, tears bubbling down my face as I scramble to quiet myself. Frustrated sobs wrack my body, clamping down onto a pillow just to hush the meek sobs that escape my throat. I cry so hard it hurts, curling up on myself against the pain. I cry until I’m choking, sputtering and aching, trembling and hiccuping, the tears only flowing harder every time I try to hush them. I heave a hoarse sigh, pausing to suck in a sharp shaky breath, hearing the bed creak. Guilt creeps down my spine when I meet Erik’s eyes, my face damp with tears and still sputtering out sobs when I notice him standing beside my bed. His brows are furrowed together, a warm sleepy look resting on his worried face. I open my mouth to apologize for disturbing him, falling silent in surprise when he shakes his head before I can even think about what to say. Erik is wordless when he crawls into bed with me, his arms wreathing around my shaking body, his voice so soft and kind it hardly sounds like him, “Hey, Eleven, what’s wrong…?”  
“I-I…” Is all I can mutter before I sink into his arms, his touch so warm and safe, finding  
myself merely burying my face in his neck.  
Tears begin falling hard again, squeezing his thin frame tightly, feeling sobs wrack my  
body again. I hate to fall apart so openly in front of him like this, he probably just wanted me to let him sleep but yet it feels so good to finally let it all out. Erik rubs my back, wordless for who knows how long as I just sit and cry harshly into his shoulder. Only when broken sobs fade to hushed whimpers does he finally speak, “Please talk to me, Eleven, i’m worried…”  
I look up at him, sniffling and seeing the genuine sympathy in his eyes. He nudges me, a slight kind smile crossing his features, “C’mon, this isn't like you… I’m here for you, you know that?’  
I sigh, not wanting to say anything to him. After all, this is my burden, not his; but Erik looks at me with such concern it shuts down all lies I can even come up with, feeling my eyes well up again when words begin just falling out of my mouth. Erik listens to everything I say like it's the most important thing in the whole world, hating to hear my voice tremble as I tell the fall of Yggdrasil and the guilt of leaving that broken yet repaired timeline, I tell him of the pain that just won’t leave me alone, I tell him of every little thought that's been buzzing around my skull through tears. When I fall quiet I feel his fingers cup my cheeks, sniffling and frowning to have my face lifted. I gulp, figuring telling him everything that's happened since we visited Yggdrasil has all been my doing is a pretty hard pill to swallow. Yet, when I look at him all I can see is a deep worry, “Why did you hide all this, Eleven?” he just mumbles, sounding taken back.  
“It’s my job, not y-yours…” I mumble, wiping my eyes.  
Erik sighs, shaking his head with a laugh, “You’re such a good person that it's almost  
gross.”  
I sniffle, sitting up, “What do you mean…?”  
The man beside me smiles, “So, you’re telling me that you’ve done all this twice? We all  
nearly died, Veronica did die, and yet you got up and decided to keep fighting, all alone? You messed up yet you still saved the day? You came back from a world of peace just to save some more lives and you think you’re in the wrong for being tired?” He flashes me a smile, “No wonder you’re so worn out, Eleven! I would have given up a long time ago if I were you, the task of the Luminary is no easy job.”  
“You believe me?” I mumble.  
Erik nods, “It explains a lot…”  
I nod, leaning into him quietly. We fall silent for a long moment before Erik speaks, “I don’t think you’re any less brave for being upset. Your life just seems to be one dead end after another…” He mumbles, wrapping me into a hug, “You shouldn't let things fester like that or you’ll be in no shape to fight Calasmos.”  
“I’m sorry-”  
He hushes me, “Nope! None of that! No apologies!”  
I squeak when Erik lies his head in my lap, color painting my cheeks, “You know what, Eleven, we’re staying here for a few days.” He says, kicking the window open ever so casually.  
I glance at the now open night sky, a gentle breeze filling the room, “Erik, we have more to do-”  
The blue haired man interrupts me yet again, “Nah! It's just gonna be you and I for a few days! You need some time with your family and I hereby declare that you are staying here!”  
I can’t help but giggle, “Okay fine, when’s Mia gonna move in?”  
Erik stretches, “Uhhh, I think sometime tomorrow? I dunno.”  
“Lets just shove our families together and disappear for a while. Maybe take a nap on the Tor together?” I shrug, smiling to hear him laugh.  
“Whatever you wanna do, Eleven.” Erik smiles, glancing at me for a long moment, “You should take that off.”  
My skin grows hot, “My tunic?”  
“Yes. Off.” he says rather bluntly, popping his knuckles, “I’m sleeping right here tonight.”  
More blush warms my face, hesitating before pulling off the purple fabric, just as he orders. I have a grey undershirt on, shifting him slightly when I squirm, “Why did you want it off…?”  
Erik sits up, “Because you’re gross and sweat a lot.” he flicks my forehead, making a show of getting comfortable in my spot, “You get me all sweaty, i’ll make you sleep on the floor.”  
I groan, rubbing my head but I struggle to contain a soft sheepish laugh. Erik rolls his eyes and opens his arms, “Come here you big baby.”  
I don’t hesitate to sink into his arms, hugging his waist and burying my face into his chest. I relax when I notice I can feel the soft thrum of his heart beat, smiling to myself. I close my eyes, my breathing slowly beginning to sync with his as I press close to him. The skin that peeks out from his exposed chest is warm, melting into the comfort of his arms as he slowly begins running his fingers through my hair. The bad thoughts that plagued my mind for so long fade, squeezing the other male closer as he quietly grooms me, relaxing at the intimate touch. We’re quiet like this for a while, finding myself very slowly beginning to doze off before I hear Erik speak, “Hey, you still up?”  
“Hnn…?” I mumble, shifting to look at him.  
He smiles at me, brushing hair out of my face before carefully combing through it again, “You can sleep if you’re tired, I think I'm almost ready to turn in myself.”  
I shake my head, “No, I'm up.”  
Erik just nods, slumping back down. We both fall into a peaceful silence, leading me to believe he fell asleep, caught off guard when he finally says, “Why did you pick me?”  
“What?” I frown.  
Erik’s voice is hushed, “You could have picked anyone to move in with you, why me?”  
I sit up to look at him, whining quietly at the sad look in his expression. He looks at me, eyes a soft watery blue, “I’m no hero, nothing like you. You’ve saved the whole world twice and I’ve done nothing but run from my problems. I’m just the boy you found in the dungeon, I really don’t feel like I deserve any of this. I ran from Mia, I let the vikings push me around, I-”  
He stops when I move, finding myself unable to stand to listen to him talk badly about himself. He stiffens when my lips graze against his, not moving a muscle when I move on top of him. He’s frozen when I mumble against his lips, my eyes closing as my heart pounds in my throat, the words holding a deep warmth to them, “Oh Erik, I don’t need a hero, I need someone who’ll catch me when if I fall.” I whisper.  
Erik’s eyes search me for a long moment before his lips slam against mine, the other fumbling to bury his hands in my hair, “Or maybe someone who’ll fall with you?” He mumbles before kissing me hard again, a soft smile crossing his features.  
I snicker, “Falling is a similar theme with us, isn’t it?”  
Erik laughs, his face a deep shade of red, “Pfft, jumping at Heliodor, nearly falling off the Tor, now what? Falling in love? You’re cheesy!” He tugs at my hair, smirking when I bite my lip in response.  
I laugh and kiss him again, his arms wrapping tight around me. I straddle him as he tugs  
at my hair, both of us laughing and talking between kisses, soft mumbles of our adventures filling the room. Erik flashes me a breathy smirk before he bites at my lips, pulling my body closer and prompting me to giggle again, “Now look who’s the gross one!”  
The blue haired thief rolls his eyes and casually punches my arm before burying his tongue in my mouth, catching me off guard. He grabs me by the shirt, jerking me much closer to him, “I can get grosser.”  
I swallow, pulling back and feeling drool dribble down my chin, “You do realize our entire family will be here tomorrow right?”  
He thinks for a moment, nibbling on his lip, before he shrugs, “To hell with them.” He decides, burying his knee into my crotch.  
I laugh as my gut twists, grabbing one of his wrists and holding it down, “I won’t let you slip away from them, you know?”  
I squeak when he slaps me, shaking my head as he rings my bell. When I look at him again his brows are furrowed, a mischievous glint to his eyes, “You talk too damn much.”  
I grunt at him and grab his other hand, keeping him pinned underneath me, my cheek stinging, “What’s with the look, huh?”  
“I bet i’ll last longer than you.” Erik smirks, leaning up to bite my nose.  
I feel a smirk cross my face, “You’re on.”  
He jerks his hands free in a quick motion, attempting to send me sprawling off him. It doesn’t work, having enough pounds on him I stay rooted to the spot. I kiss him again, unable to resist laughing at his irritated huff. Erik tries to muffle himself but he is soon giggling too, the two of us unable to resist a fit of chuckles. I’m not sure how long we’re like this, giggling and laughing against each other's lips. I don’t notice when the laughs fade into grunts and pants, when teasing pushing turns to desperate pulling, when the fun fades into a deep want. Erik’s kisses are now rough and desperate as my fingers graze along his skin, the other male fumbling to pull my undershirt off. Our lips will definitely be swollen tomorrow. I lift my arms as he removes the fabric, my own hands grabbing at his pants. They come off easy enough, Erik letting out a soft groan when I bury my face into his neck. He mumbles something that doesn’t make any sense, fingers curling into my scalp when I carefully sink my teeth into his skin. He welcomes the touch almost greedily, moving one hand to urge my fingers along his chest. I tip my head back, deciding to politely ignore his whine of protest, “Gross.”  
He lets out a sheepish laugh, shoving me so I'm sitting, “Shut your mouth, Eleven.”  
I open my mouth for a snarky rebuttal, cut short when he presses his knee up hard against my crotch. Erik’s smirk is nearly sadistic as he sends a sharp spike of pleasure rocketing up my spine, giving a curt tug to my hair, “I’m trying to make you feel better and you aren’t helping.”  
I roll my eyes, biting my lip slightly, “You’re just needy.”  
He grazes his lips against mine again, “Mm, maybe so.”  
I grab him by the waist and pull him in for a deeper kiss, allowing myself to get lost in him. Fire flickers through my gut, our skin warm to the touch. His pants are soft and rugged, deciding to just try and ignore my own grunts caused by his knee. He doesn’t let up on the stimulation, just pressing his chest up against mine and grinding down harder. He’s soon shifting to straddle me, pleasure making my vision sparkle. It doesn’t take long for my pants to become uncomfortably tight, panting slightly when Erik takes notice. He smirks at me, obviously enjoying making me squirm. I scoff slightly, prompting him to laugh at me. I start to say something to hush him, feeling myself freezing when he reaches to fiddle with my pants. I let him, feeling myself ache for his attention when he frees my length and carefully discards the rest of my clothes to the floor. I watch his motions eagerly, letting him take over for a few. He seems to know what he's doing a whole lot better than I do. I can't help but question him when he spits into his palm, watching as he starts to grab me again, "Are you about to rub your spit on my-"  
Erik cocks an eyebrow, "Yeah?"  
I groan in disgust, "Why?"  
"You put that..." he hesitates before gesturing, "thing anywhere near me without lube, I'll kill you. I doubt you have any proper lube sitting around here, do you?'  
"Well…" I rub the back of my neck, "no but-"  
Erik huffs, putting his clean hand on my chest and shoving me over, "Then stop your bitching and let me work."  
I gulp and shift to sit up again, scrunching my nose at the wet feeling against my sensitive areas. I bury my face in my hands as he carefully pumps me, barely able to muffle groans, “W-Why do we need to do this…? Hah…”  
Erik shakes his head, snickering, “You’re such a virgin Eleven, it's almost surprising.” His voice drops an octave, a certain lustful edge to his tone, “You’re huge you know, i have to do this or it won’t uh, fit…”  
I blush but stop complaining, soon rewarded with a kiss. I smile against him as he moves a little closer, gasping when he squeezes my length. I see mischief glint in his eyes again, gritting my teeth in response. Erik moves but I'm faster than him, his squeak loud against the silent room when I flip him. He hits the bed with a grunt, fumbling to catch my arm before I can pin him. He flashes me teeth, a certain cocky expression crossing his features, “Nice try, Eleven.”  
I furrow my brow and wrench my hand away from his grasp, the two of us locked in a very sudden wrestling match. Things can’t ever be normal with us, can it? Erik raises one eyebrow, crossing his legs carefully, watching me like a hawk. I swallow at the intensity in his gaze, trying to figure out a way to grab him. He won’t let me have control over him easily, finding myself scowling at the delight in his eyes. He loves every second of making me wait, he enjoys fighting me off, he enjoys just tormenting me. I reach for him just to be swatted away, huffing at the thief. He just tips his head innocently, “Well? I’m waiting.”  
“Yeah, yeah…” I grumble, attempting to crawl onto him.  
Erik rolls just out of my grasp and ducks when I attempt to wrap him in my arms, jutting  
out his leg and catching me off guard, sending me sprawling to the ground. The concrete rattles my skull, scowling in frustration as I push myself up. His smile is infuriating, “Whoops.”  
I huff, rubbing my head, “You know what you’re doing!”  
“Do I?” He chuckles, moonlight making his blue eyes glint.  
I huff, feeling awkward to stand naked at the foot of my bed and just look at him. Erik is just as exposed as I am, arms crossed as he teases me. I set my palms on the mattress, “This was your idea you know!”  
He smiles, “Yeah but it’s not my fault you’re terrible at this.”  
I scowl and crawl back into bed, resuming the struggle to get him to hold still. He laughs as he squirms away from me, pushing me off and nearly knocking me to the floor again several times. Frustration crawls at my gut, the ache between my legs only fueling my annoyance. Erik can’t stop giggling, delighted to watch me struggle. I take the opportunity to reach for him, the other making a feeble attempt to swat me away. We both freeze in place when I reach for his hand, his attempt to swat me making me grab him by the throat instead. Erik stops when I squeeze without thinking, a deep throaty noise escaping him. Panic flashes through my senses, starting to yank my hand away, “E-Erik, i’m so-”  
I pause at the feeling of his hands grabbing at my wrist, looking down to see the utter pleasure in his eyes. He tilts his head back, a shiver shooting up my spine at the realization his throaty noise had been a moan. I can’t help but smile, finally finding his weak point, slowly applying more pressure to his throat, “You like this Erik?”  
He bites his lip, eyes watering as he pants, “H-ah…~”  
I carefully curl my hand around his throat, pushing down on him and very carefully cutting off his air flow, chuckling quietly, “Disgusting.”  
He has the nerve to muster a grin before sucking in a sharp breath, gripping my wrist tight. I watch him carefully, paranoid to hurt him. Erik gasps and chokes underneath me, biting his lip as his eyes water, “E-Eleven…~”  
I sit on top of him to keep him restrained and keep my grip on his throat as tight as I can possibly muster without harming him, watching the lewd expressions he makes as he fights for air. His voice is raspy, choking out the word, “H-Harder.”  
“Harder? I don’t wanna hurt-”  
“E-Eleven.” he grunts, tone curt, “H-Harder…~”  
I sigh but do as ordered, shifting to let my hands hold my weight. He lets out a sharp sound that makes me wince, tugging on my hand when I start to draw back. The misheif and anarchy in his eyes has faded, eyes now filled with a lustful haze. He lets out choked moans against my grip, soon mumbling for me to cut off more air. I do as he tells me until his breathing gets too irregular for me to stand, otherwise content with letting him squirm and gasp. He bites his lip hard before letting his lips part, sucking in soft sharp breaths. My length aches in response, growling quietly as I grip him even harder, “You almost done?”  
Erik lets out a sputtered squeak, grasping at my wrist, “uh huh, hah~! Ah…~”  
I shift when I notice his own hard-on, scrunching my nose up, “Oh, you really like this?”  
He nods as much as he can, rasping as he speaks through pants, “I-I fold…. You… hah… you win… Nuh, E-Eleven...~”  
His words send a wave of satisfaction over me, shifting to cut off his air entirely for a few moments. I smirk at him, “What? Didn’t quite get that.”  
He gasps, sucking in a deep breath as soon as I let up, “Y-You win!”  
Erik sits up when I let go of him, rubbing his neck for a moment before he’s crawling into my arms. I frown when he presses into me, his kiss both soft and desperate. I sink into the gentleness of it, guessing he probably decided fighting me was getting him nowhere. His arms find their way around my neck, mumbling against my lips, “You still suck.”  
“I knew you were gonna say that.” I laugh, carefully pinning him down.  
Erik lets me for once, breathing heavily when I climb on top of him and carefully pulling my body closer. I grab his hips, carefully lining up with him. He studies me, helping me when he can. His smile is much kinder now, gently cupping my cheek, “You sure you’re really up for this, Eleven?”  
I nod, “We’re in a little too far to back out now.”  
Erik chuckles, “Just checking, I'm ready if you are.”  
I give him a soft reassuring kiss on the forehead and carefully pull him closer, nibbling on my lip when I press against him. The other shifts ever so slightly, “He-”  
Erik lets out a sharp sound when I push in, both of us freezing immediately. Guilt flashes over me when his face scrunches up in pain, my words tumbling out of my mouth, “A-Are you okay???”  
The other male hisses in pain, “I-I didn’t know you were g-gonna go all i-in, d-dammit…”  
he cusses, squirming slightly before wincing.  
I let out a noise of concern, flinching at each sharp sound from him, frozen in place, “I-I can pull back out! I-I’m sorry, I just-”  
Erik shakes his head, grunting and scrunching his face up when he moves closer, only worsening his pain, “N-No… Its f-fine.”  
I swallow hard, “Please, i-i dont wanna hurt you, let me try again…”  
His tone is sharp, “Don’t you dare move, Eleven.” He spits, “Just give me a minute, o-okay…”  
I let out a soft shameful whine but do as he tells me, holding still so he can get his bearings. Erik lets out soft cracked noises, very gently pulling me closer to him. He muffles a whimper when his pulling causes me to push deeper, both of us wincing as his body attempts to reject me. He forces me to practically lie down on top of him, hugging me tight and having me go all the way in. I carefully bury my face in his neck, happy to wait as long as it takes for him to stop hurting. He’s trembling as he hugs me, gently pressing his face into my hair. I whimper quietly, "Please, I really don't want to hurt you…"  
"I-Im fine." He grunts, beating his hand against the mattress a few times as he squirms and tries to force himself, beating the mattress distracting him.  
After a few moments of just lying on him, feeling useless, I get an idea. I shift ever so slightly, very careful not to disturb him, and begin leaving soft kisses along his neck. Erik tilts his head softly as I begin to kiss and nip at him, welcoming the touch with a soft, "E-Eleven…~?"  
I sink my teeth into his skin, his squeak sounding pleased instead of pained like it would have moments before. I carefully move my hands to massage at his hips, feeling him begin to relax from my touch. Soothing him relaxes me as well, the bad gut feeling from guilt fading into a warm fuzzy feeling as I plan loving kisses and bites along his skin. I'm utterly delighted to please him, excited to find redemption for just shoving into him. Erik gently pulls at my hair as I leave bruises along his collarbone, soft cracked noises escaping him. He shifts his weight, "I-I think you can move now…"  
"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you, Erik…" I mumble, kissing his chin.  
He nods, "I'll tell you if it hurts, don't worry."  
I smile and very carefully let my hips move forward, grimacing as he tenses up. I glance at him but he nods to continue, still pained but at least his body isn't trying to reject me anymore. I push in as far as I can, his warmth flickering through my senses. I stay put for a few long moments before I pull all the way back out, the two of us feeling a rush of disappointment at the loss. I look for approval, Erik nodding his head with enthusiasm when I work my way back in. His head falls back with a soft restrained groan, letting me continue my back and forth motions. Pleasure flickers through my senses, biting my lip as I carefully shift to move a little faster. I glance at Erik yet again for approval, taking his lewd expression as the go ahead. He pants and grips at my shoulders, "T-There we go…~" he praises, giving my hair a tug.  
I grunt and gently grab his legs, pulling them up to my shoulders. His arms fall to the bed, shifting to make the position easier on both of us and wincing as I thrust a little deeper than before. He adjusts in moments, biting his lip when I resume my rhythm again, "a-ah, E-Eleven…~ y-you wanna pick u-up the pace~?"  
I don't hesitate at the offer, gripping his legs when my back and forth motions pick up speed. Erik let's out a squeak, head falling back with a sound that makes my stomach flip. I groan at the pleasure that wracks my body, unable to resist moving faster. Erik’s fingers curl into the sheets, a soft groan escaping me when our hips begin to crudely slap together with each thrust. The other male tugs at the sheets, a soft cry escaping him, “A-Ah, dammit E-Eleven…~ g-good…. G-good boy…~”  
His words fuel me more, digging my nails into his thighs as I nearly bend him in two, thrusting as deep as I possibly can. He squeals, arching his back, “S-Shit~!”  
I smirk to hear him cry out so openly, his noises slowly getting louder and louder, burying my face into his neck. We continue like this for a while before he pipes up, his voice cracked from having lost it cause of all his noises, “Hey, E-Eleven??”  
I lift my head with a pant, sweat beading down my brow, “Y-Yes?”  
Erik gives me a feeble smirk, “C-Check this out.” He pants, carefully making me sit up and being extra cautious not to mess up my rhythm.  
I frown, tipping my head, “I-Is something wrong?”  
He shakes his ad, shifting his hips and forcing me to raise them up a little higher. He grins, “Look.”  
I frown in confusion, glancing down at him. I’m met with a bulge in Erik’s lower stomach, shifting to see I caused that. I open my mouth to reply but fall silent when Erik begins laughing like a mad man, “You should see your face!”  
I pout, “Way to kill the mood, Erik.”  
He smiles sweetly at me, “D’aww, you having fun huh~” Don’t worry, Eleven, we’re not done yet.”  
I frown at him when he ushers me to continue, putting great effort into keeping his hips leveled enough to cause my motions to be visible. I try to bury my face into his neck again but he won’t let me, keeping us in the same position, “Erriiiikkkkkkk…” I groan, huffing at him.  
His smirk is almost evil as he carefully presses his thumb against the bulge, finding myself unable to stop the moan that bubbles in my throat. Pleasure rockets through my system from the touch, Erik only pressing down harder to see my delight. Stars dance across my vision, swearing softly, “S-Stop…”  
“Why? You love this! Y-You’re gross…” he mocks, his grin toothy.  
Irritation flashes through me, grabbing his throat and squeezing, “Yeah? Well you like this.”  
Erik bites his lip, excitement flickering in his eyes, “What? What are you gonna do, Eleven? I’m waiting.” he grins, crossing his arms.  
I clench my jaw as I push my weight down, cutting off his air immediately. He squeaks, the cocky expression melting in seconds as he grabs my wrist, gasping when I loosen up the hold. His eyes water and drool rolls down his face, panting and watching me with wide eyes. My frustration with him gets the best of me, sharply thrusting my hips forward. Our hips meet with a lewd slap, gripping his throat hard, "Is what what you wanted?"  
Erik lets out a near scream, nodding and holding me tight when I shift to pound into him. Tears roll down his face, grinning as much as he can through every thrust. Sweat beads down my face, eventually moving my hands away to grab at his thighs. I dig my nails into them as I slam into him, leaving crescent shaped marks in his skin. Anytime I glance to see if I've taken it too far im greeted by an utterly ecstatic Erik, looking the most content I've ever seen him. He lets out cries that I swear all of cobblestone can hear but yet, I don't care in the least bit. Let them hear, I earned this. I slam my lips against Eriks, the other fumbling to shift into a comfier position, kegs winding tight around my waist and fingers digging into my scalp. He lets out a soft noise against my lips, speaking when I pull back, "Eleven, I-I'm, f-fuck, I-im gonna…"  
I cut him off with another kiss, unable to muster a response, just nodding against him. He gets the message either way, pulling my body as close as he can. My gut burns as each sloppy thrust sends us closer to release, finding myself crying out when the dam bursts. I bury myself inside him, trembling as my release rocks my body. Erik arches his back, letting out an even louder cry when he reaches his high as well. I pant as I feel myself fill his insides, glancing to see him spurt across his chest. I slowly pull out, smiling to see him stretch in response, finding him to be adorable to be so tuckered out. Erik looks at me through lidded eyes, "You look so much better…"  
I sink down in bed beside him, lying on my back, "Hm?" I mumble, sinking into the mattress.  
Erik rolls onto his side, not caring for our mess, and gently reaches to cup my face, rubbing my eyebags with his thumbs, "You look happy again, you didn't before… so much less stressed." He purrs, words nearly slurring together.  
I smile meekly st him, "I definitely feel better."  
"Good. Glad I could help get that frustration and anger out of you." He smiles.  
"I really doubt that was therapy sex."  
Erik laughs, sheepishly kissing my cheek, "Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, I'm just happy to help out."  
I roll my eyes as I sit up, groaning at the exhaustion that fights for me to just go to sleep now, and grab a washrag that had been left out. I turn towards Erik and start to clean him, the other just snatching the fabric out of my fabrics, "I can do it."  
"But-" I protest.  
"I'm not helpless Eleven, I can do it." Erik mumbles and begins cleaning himself off.  
I sigh but am too sleepy to argue with him, glancing to the open window. It's still dark outside to my delight, happy to know we will still get plenty of sleep. Erik grabs my attention by kissing me, smiling when I look at him, "You gonna sleep?"  
"Yeah, just waiting on you." I smile and hug him close, settling down in bed.  
The blue haired thief curls up in my arms, relaxing as he gets ready to sleep, "I love you, Eleven…"  
"Love you too…" i mumble and kiss the top of his head.  
As much as i want to sleep, the thoughts begin to surface once again but this time they are muddled and slow. As helpful as Erik was, the thoughts are persistent, feeling tears fill my eyes again. He notices, shifting to plant a soft kiss on my chin, "Do you wanna talk about it?" He asks.  
I shake my head, sniffling as he nods understandingly, "Okay, cry as much as you need, Eleven. Im right here if you need me, please wake me up if do decide to talk." He whispers before hugging me tight, curling up again.  
When the tears fall they don't sting like they had before, they don't leave me choking and coughing like before. They feel like im just spouting whatever's left, noticing how light I feel. Huh. I guess Erik was right, he really did help. I bury my face into his hair, sniffling and hugging him close, feeling the happiest i have in forever. I notice he's snoring, too exhausted to stay up with me but his hug still holds tight, supporting me as much as he can. It warms my heart either way, sniffling meekly as I glance at him. Bruises dot along his skin, frowning as I notice he will never be able to hide that with his usual skimpy outfit. I eye my purple tunic, very carefully shifting out from underneath him. Erik hardly stirs, out cold, as I very carefully dress him. I smile to myself as it covers him perfectly, watching as he curls right back up, too tired to give a single fuck what im up too. I wipe my eyes as I cross the room and dig out my old clothes, smiling at the rush of nostalgia i get from sliding the outfit on. I inhale deeply, my cheeks damp from tears as I glance to the male in my bed. He eases me and when i crawl back into bed with him, I'm amazed at the sheer joy I feel. Erik nuzzles close, sleepily mumbling a question that isn't coherent, seeming satisfied when I kiss his forehead in response. I curl around him and cry until my body is satisfied, falling into the best sleep I have ever had.


	2. Chapter 2

When morning comes, im jerked awake by Erik pinching me hard. I groan and slowly open my eyes to see Amber coming in the door, amazed at how comfortable i feel. Panic doesn't flash over me at all, feeling like all the weight on my shoulders had been set aside and nothing can hurt me. My mother smiles at us, not having a care in the world about why we were asleep in the same bed, "Good morning boys, Gemma and I made you breakfast. You should be up by now though, it's nearly noon!"  
I smile, "Morning mum…" I sit up and stretch before I get up, Erik shyly hiding under the blankets.  
I watch him from the corner of my eye, the panic in his face fading when he realizes he's dressed. His face glows when he realizes those aren't his clothes, coughing awkwardly, "Good morning.'  
Amber smiles at him, "You hungry, Erik?"  
I watch as he eyeballs her, looking intrigued, "Yes, thank you… uh, i think i'm gonna shower real quick though." He gets up, limping awkwardly.  
Amber doesn't notice, humming quietly and soon turning towards me, pinching my cheek, "How'd you sleep?"  
"Good. How was Drustans?" I ask, helping her when she begins scrubbing dishes, deciding to let Erik wake up before I pester him.  
"Same old same old, Gemma was up late talking about you and how crazy your adventures must be."  
I laugh, "That's what Erik and I were talking about all night too. Sleeping in all day is a good refresher." I say, technically not lying  
She chuckles, "Like you don't always sleep in late!"   
I giggle with her, drying off the dishes and putting them in the cupboards, “Okay, fine, but i’m happy to be home either way.”  
Amber smiles at me, “Good to hear, Eleven, I missed having my boy around.”  
“I’m sure Gemma made sure to drive you up the walls for me.” I hum, glancing when I see the girl in question step into the room.  
The smell of food wafts over me, turning to grin at her, “Ooh, what’s that?”  
She flashes me a teasing grin, setting the meal on the table, “You’ll find out soon enough, Eleven! Where’s Erik?”  
I give her a quick hug before turning away to set the table, “He’s taking a shower.”  
“Aren’t we gonna meet his little sister today? It's Mia isn’t it? I can’t wait to meet her, it’ll be like ‘aving my own little sister!” Gemma squeaks, helping me to set up the table.  
I set my hands on my hips, sticking my tongue out at herm “Like you’ve never forced me to hold still and braided my hair like a girl!”  
Gemma gives me a cheeky grin, “And i’ll do it again and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”  
I pout at her, looking up when I hear Erik. He still looks like he just crawled out of bed but got water dumped on him, sleepily heading over to the table and sitting down. I watch as he eases himself down, rubbing his eyes and giving a tired smile to Gemma, “Morning.”  
“Mornin Erik!” She chirps before turning away.  
I sit beside him, unable to resist smirking at the fact he put my tunic back on, “How are you?”  
He grunts, ruffling his hair as he attempts to dry it with the towel, “I’m sore and I hate your stupid face.”  
I giggle quietly and sneak him a kiss before the girls notice, getting a happy grumble in return before I resume my place with Amber and Gemma. They babble on about how their night was, feeling my face warm just thinking about last night. Erik just cusses to himself in the background, trying not to look so irritable, wanting to be friendly but still tired. It’s his fault he’s so sore anyway. I snicker but soon sit beside him, “I bet you’ll cave and slink off to take a nap later.”  
Erik scrunches his nose up, “I would never.”  
“Uh huh, suurree. I’ll last longer than you today, guarantee.” I tease in a soft whisper.  
He glares at me through the corner of his eye, “Bet, may the best man win.”  
I smile but go quiet when the girls come over, Amber sitting beside Erik and Gemma taking a spot on the other side of me. Amber glances at Erik as he removes his towel, casually flinging it to the bed and letting his wet hair just fall in a clump over his face. She ignores him trying to at least get it out of his face, “Didn’t you say your friend Sylvando was gonna pick up Mia?”  
Erik nods, “Yep.”  
Amber nods and lets him eat, turning to me instead, “So, Eleven, are you two gonna haul off again tomorrow?”  
I open my mouth to say yes, the man beside me interjecting, “Nope, we’re gonna stay here for a few days. Get Mia situated plus, I think we deserve a vacation.”  
I glare at him when he just smirks at me, the girls looking utterly delighted to hear we’re staying. Gemma clasps her hands together, "Ah! Good to hear!"  
I smile, rubbing the back of my neck, 'Haha yeah…"  
Erik hums softly, satisfied to seal his plans. He resumes eating with a happy look, Amber and Gemma continuing conversation. I begin to eat as well, hating to admit how relaxed I feel knowing I have nothing to do. No battles, no fights, no preparing for Calasmos, nothing but time with Erik and our families. The idea is comforting, the food just another reminder of the comforts of home. I smile quietly to myself, enjoying the peace for a bit. I recognize Sylvando’s voice the moment he’s outside the door, Gemma and Amber quickly heading outside to greet my companion. I watch as Erik pushes himself up with a hefty groan, rubbing his collar sorely before heading toward the door. He pauses when I catch his arm, looking over at me. I frown at him, “Are you sure you’re alright?”  
Erik nods his head, “Yeah, Eleven, i’m all good.”  
I can’t help but worry either way, setting my thumb on his lips, “You’re all swollen, aren’t you worried Mia will figure us out?”  
He laughs, “Happens. Mia? Oh please, she’d walk in on us and have no idea. It’s fine man, really. Plus, you’re just as swollen as I am!” He sticks his thumb in my mouth, pulling my lips back to show teeth.  
I duck away from the touch, rubbing the back of my neck, “If you insist…” i mumble, carefully undoing his tunic and eyeballing his chest.  
Erik frowns, a light blush painting his cheeks, “Uh, watcha doing?”  
“Just looking at your bruises, perv.” I give him a light smile and gently kiss his collarbone, the skin purple from all the attention I had given it.  
Erik sheepishly pulls the tunic back over his shoulder, hiding it away again, “Just be lucky no one decided to walk in and see that, Eleven.”  
I glance up at him, “Are you gonna tell Mia about us?”  
He sucks in air between his teeth, rubbing the back of his neck, “Uh, no.” He turns away, attempting to get away before continuing the conversation.  
I quickly block his path, “What do you mean no?”  
The blue haired man shifts his weight awkwardly, avoiding my gaze as he rubs his neck, “I just… Five years without her was a long time y’know? I don’t really wanna spill my sex life with her, espically if its… well… we’re both dudes, Eleven, and the vikings aren't the kindest of people. Mia and I never talked about love so its just a subject i’d rather avoid right now.”  
I sigh but nod, understanding what he means, “So, we’re just gonna pretend that things aren’t romantic when with everyone?”  
Erik sighs but nods, “Yeah, just for a little bit though… I’ll tell her eventually, don’t worry.” he gives me a soft kiss before scurrying outside.   
"Yeah well i don't want Sylvando or Gemma knowing yet either." I mumble, following him.  
Erik hears me, nodding his agreement before smiling at Sylvando, "Hey! What's up?"  
The jester looks over, giving a smile, "Hello honeys! You two look like you slept well." he hums, setting his hand on his hip.  
I blush at the way he stares at us, especially eyeing Eriks awkward stance. We both decide to ignore his comment, Mia nearly barreling Erik over. He winces but hugs her tight, chuckling, “Hey kiddo, how was the trip?”  
She grins, “It was so much fun! I’m finally glad to get out of that stuffy old cave!” She pushes him away to throw her arms up, nearly sending him sprawling, “There’s so much fresh air! There’s so much to explore!” She grins, setting her hands on her hips and giving him the trademark smirk they both wear so proudly, “So much treasure!”  
Erik sighs, setting one hand on his hip, “Really? You just got here and you're already digging for gold?”  
Mia sways, nodding enthusiastically, “Of course I am! This is the first time i’v ever been anywhere that doesn’t smell like sweat!”  
He laughs softly but I have my eyes on Sylvando, who looks very interested in their conversation. He purses his lips, shifting his weight from one leg to another, “Say Erik dear, isn’t that Eleven’s outfit?”  
To my surprise, Erik takes the comment in stride, “Haven’t you noticed how muddy it is around here? I’ve been helping out, you know! Needed some fresh clothes and all he has is tunics.“ he says with a confident smile.  
Sylvando lets out a thoughtful hum and narrows his eyes at him, searching for a lie. I feel myself gulp to know how fast the jester had caught on, feeling relief flood through my gut when Mia’s voice breaks the tension, “You do look nice wearing something besides that ratty old outfit the vikings gave you and that one you’ve been wearing! Both terrible if you ask me!”  
He scoffs, poking her stomach, “Says the one showing off skin.”  
She grins at him, moving out of his reach with a perfectly smooth step, “I’m cute and you know it! You’re the one looking like a street rat all the time.”   
I can’t help but chuckle despite his grunt, squeaking when the girl turns to me. She gives me a toothy grin, the same wide smile I had fallen in love with on Erik, “Ah, I know you! You’re Eleven.”  
I smile shyly, unable to believe how much she and her brother have in common, “Yep, that’s me.”  
Mia examines me, pursing her lips thoughtfully before crossing her arms, “Oh! You’re the hero! You’re the one who saved me from dingus’ curse and you’re the Luminary.” She grunts, pointing her thumb at Erik, who merely scoffs and leans against the house in response.  
I stare at him a moment too long, snapped back to Mia when Sylvando coughs, smiling at her and letting her see the mark of Light on my hand. She grins and grabs it, shaking it so hard I swear she could wrench my arm out of socket, “Nice to formally meet you, roomie!”  
“I’m sure you’ll love it here, Mia.” I smile and pull my hand back when she lets go, wincing the moment she turns away, her grip way stronger than anticipating.  
Erik laughs, “What? Her grip too much for you, Eleven?”  
I flush to be called out, my skin growing hot when he pushes off the wall and walks over to me, a little too close to my face for comfort. He offers his hand, a tight lipped smirk crossing his features, “Let me check your grip.”  
I shake my head, “No-”  
He steps closer, enough his breath is hot against my face, “Come on man!”  
I sigh but give him my hand, wincing when he squeezes my hand tight, giving a firm shake that, once again, feels like I'm about to lose my arm. I wince when he pulls back, rubbing my arm, “That’s not fair! You two are tiny!”  
Mia crosses her arms, grinning, “We’re vikings, baby!”  
Erik snickers and winks at me, “That’s not the only thing I wanna have a good grip on~”  
Color dances across my cheeks, hurrying to look if anyone heard him. To my relief Sylvando is talking to Gemma and Amber and Mia got distracted by Sandy, punching Erik’s arm. He laughs and resumes leaning against the house, leaving me to clasp my hands together and get everyone’s attention. They all look over, feeling my skin warm at the attention, “You don’t mind telling the others Erik and I are staying here in Cobblestone for a few days do ya, Sylv?”  
The jester smiles, clasping his hands together excitedly, “Of course honey! Need a break?”  
I rub the back of my neck, “Well, I just thought we all could use some days off before we head off to Calasmos. Plus, getting Mia settled in wouldn’t hurt.”  
Sylvando lets out a hum, nodding in agreement, “How sweet of you, Eleven!”  
Erik cracks his knuckles, “You gonna go back to Porto Valor?”  
He nods his head again, “Of course, i’m sure my papi has a few more tricks he could teach me while i wait! I’m sure the others wouldn’t mind a few days of relaxation while you two do… whatever you honeys are up too.”  
We both blush brightly to his satisfaction, the lithe man turning away, “Anyway! Ciao honeys!”  
Sylvando doesn’t linger much longer, heading back up the path out of Cobblestone. I let my gaze follow him, frowning when I notice Hendrik. The soldier ignores us and just follows behind the jester, gaze as solemn as always. I nudge Erik, “Hey, you saw him too right?”  
He frowns and furrows his brow, tipping his head when he sees them too, “Hendrik…?”  
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. He didn’t even say hi to us. What do you think he’s doing with Sylvando?” I ask.  
Erik crosses his arms thoughtfully, “Well, Kingsbarrow is really close to here. Don Rodrigo did send them on the quest to beat the trial in there, they probably decided to go do that since Sylvando was swinging through here anyway.”  
“That makes sense.” I say after a moment, watching them disappear.  
We’re both quiet for a moment, wondering if we could catch up to them if we started running. Mia interrupts our thoughts by snatching Erik’s hand, nearly throwing him, “Erik! Have you even been listening to me!” she squeaks, neither one of us having noticed she’d been talking while we were studying Hendrik, “Come on! We’re wasting daylight! There's treasure to be found!"  
I laugh when she pulls him along, yanking him towards Cobblestone falls. He has to practically jog to keep up, fumbling awkwardly and casting a glance over at his shoulder as if to yell "Help!" at me before he squeaks at her to slow down.  
I'm in no better shape than he is when Gemma grabs my hand, her fingers interlacing with mine, "Come on Eleven! We gave lots to catch up on you know!'   
I give her a smile when I'm dragged off just like Erik had been, looking back at Amber, "I'll see you in a bit mum!"  
She smiles, "have fun!"

That's how we spend our day, following the girls closely behind. I see Erik a few times, unable to resist chuckling as he follows his sister, noticing that Erik is looking far more interested in what I'm doing than whatever shiny thing Mia had found. I, on the other hand, spend my day getting lectured, which isn't new. Gemma and Amber send me on chore runs all day and lecture me that I don't eat enough, which is a shift from their previous "you're lazy and you eat too much!" lecture I had gotten before. Their scolding may be annoying but it's certainly not home without it. My most current task has been dog washing, which they had saved specifically for Gemma and I to do. A soggy Sandy barking at me snags my attention, looking at the blonde across from me and thinking about where I am now. Gemma giggles and flinches when the dog shakes, sending soapy water lying as she tries to escape her bath, “Eleven, make sure you catch her if she jumps!”  
I grin, trying my hardest to scrub her. My tunic is already soaked and Gemma’s clothes are in no better state, nearly falling in the tub as she washes her beloved dog. The moment is messy, both of us covered in just as much mud as Sandy is, both giggling as we try to keep her in the water. Erik was right, this is exactly what I needed. I’m not fighting for my life anymore, i’m just trying to keep this furry monster from wreaking havoc in Cobblestone. I look at the girl across from me, her face dusted with a light shade of pink from laughing and think back to easier tines, when my only plans for the future were marrying her. Part of me still yearns for that simple life, to lean across this tub and kiss her like nothing has changed. She'd enjoy that. She's open about her feelings, why wouldn't she be? Eighteen years of friendship has led us to know everything about each other just by a glance. I swallow to think of her being my bride, wondering if I could ever live out that reality. She is pretty and she's always been there for me, could I really be happy with her? I think of her by my side on my wedding day, not my bride but instead fussing over making sure I look perfect. I can hear it now, "Eleven! Your tuxedo is dirty!"   
"Eleven! It wouldn't hurt to comb your hair again!"  
"Eleven! Stand taller!"  
I can't help but chuckle to myself at the thought, deciding to compare Erik. Him sitting across from me on my wedding day, blabbering on about how he's not a man of romance. For whatever reason, it unsettles me deeply to think about it. To look at him as merely a friend, to walk past him without kissing his cheek or brushing my fingers against his, it's a world I couldn't stand. Something about Erik draws me in more, his smirk holds so much power over me, more than I could ever hope to understand. I don't know when the former thief stole my heart but one thing is for certain, he sure as hell won't be giving it back. I'm jerked out of my thoughts when Sandy jumps, leaving me to scramble after her. Gemma squeals and tries to follow me in pursuit of the wet dog, tripping over the tub and sending water spilling everywhere. Water seeps deeper into my clothes as Gemma falls on top me, my head snacking against hers when I attempt to get up. She looks at me, her nose brushing against mine when I start laughing. I shove her off and try to get up, Gemma returning the gesture by elbowing me hard. We both laugh before sprinting off, yelling for Sandy to come back. Gemma glances at me, "Hey, I'll chase her towards Derks shop and you corner her, alright?"  
I nod and race off towards Derk's, watching the girl try and shove Sandy into a route. My neighbors scream and yelp at the chaos, the canine having no concern for bowling people and children over. When she comes racing towards me I reach for her, a yell escaping me when Sandy merely bowls me over, the ground hitting hard. I groan and laugh, raising my hand when I hear footsteps, "So that didn't work, any other bright ideas Gemma?' ?”  
She takes my hand, finding myself frowning at her dainty fingers as I’m jerked to my feet. I pause when I see Erik looking at me instead, “I thought you were at the falls?”  
He smiles, “I thought you were doing chores, not eating dirt.” He lets go of me, glancing over to watch Mia join the chase.  
“Okay fair.” I smile, frowning when I notice he’s soaking wet.   
Blue hair falls over his face, water dripping down his nose. He crosses his arms, my tunic slicked to his skin and turned into a dark shade of purple from the moisture. I tip my head at him, “What happened to you? Excited to see me?”  
Erik punches my arm hard, laughing, “Very funny, I could ask you the same thing.”  
“We were trying to give Sandy a bath and she decided she was done sooner than we planned.” I chuckle, looking over when Erik leans against me.  
He lets out a sigh and rests his head against my chest, “Mia knocked me into the water because I couldn't catch up. Damn you, Eleven, damn you.”  
I wrap one arm around him after I make sure no ones paying attention, “You look worn out, Erik, do you wanna go take a nap up on the Tor?”  
He lets himself slump against me entirely at the offer, his voice cracking, “P-Please…”  
I can’t help but wince at the pain in his voice, the man utterly spent for the day. I rub his shoulder, gently lifting his chin. He studies me intently with his bright blue eyes, “Eleven…?”  
I kiss him softly, unable to resist the urge, not even caring that we’re standing in the middle of Cobblestone. The butterflies I get are just another convincer the thief snagged my heart when I wasn’t looking, his fingers curling into my soggy outfit,”They’ll see us, Eleven…” He mumbles, pulling back just enough to meet my eyes.  
“Let them.” I reply, my hands grasping at his hips when I kiss him again.  
Erik grunts before shrugging, tipping his head into the gesture. We pull back after a moment, blush painting our cheeks. We’re quiet for a few seconds, listening to Gemma and Mia yell in the distance. Erik breaks the silence, setting one hand on his hip, “So, what are you thinking about besides sucking on my face?”  
I can’t help but laugh, “Ah, some generic excuse of we gotta go helpout mum. It’ll be fine, I think.”  
“You’re terrible. Let’s do it.”  
We both share a nod before heading off to where the others had ran off to, watching as Mia manages to finally wrangle her. Gemma looks over, her hair a frizzy mess, “Oh there you are! I was wondering if Sandy had hurt ya!”  
I shake my head, “Nah, i’m good. Mum just wants Erik and I to help her out cleaning the house.” I lie, grinning when they believe it.  
Gemma nods, “You better not keep her waiting then, Eleven! She’ll be awfully sore if you two don’t head back soon.”  
Mia tips her head over, “You better hurry Erik, I’m not done adventuring quite yet!”  
Erik looks over at her, “You know Gemma lives here right? She can give you a good and proper tour, as long as you ask nicely.”  
My childhood friend clasps her hands together, looking at the young girl with excitement, “Yeah! That sounds fun!”  
Mia grins, swaying on her heels, “Sounds good!”  
Erik and I exchange glances, both unable to resist cheesing. He turns first, “Alrighty! See you in a bit!”  
I follow behind, waiting until we’re out of sight before we set into a jog to the Tor, both of us chuckling proudly to pull off such a lie. We grin as we slip between buildings and quickly scale the monument, the fresh open air of the top hitting my lungs. I smile at the man beside me, who looks just as proud as I, “I cannot believe we pulled that off!”  
He chuckles, slinking over to a shady spot and sitting down, “Yeah but they’ll come searching for us in a few hours I bet. Still. You’re a better liar than I thought.”  
I sit beside him, letting out a happy sigh and wreathing my arms around him, "Still, it's enough time for a little nap isn't it?"  
Erik nods, "Of course, Eleven." He crawls into my lap, wrapping his arms around my neck.  
I smile sheepishly when his lips brush against mine, hugging his waist and kissing back. Erik melts in my grasp, grasping as my clothes and pushing his body closer. I let him, happy to hold him with no shame, “I love you, Erik…” I mumble against his lips.  
He tilts his head back, fumbling with the hem of my tunic, “I know.”  
I pout at him, “What? I don’t get an ‘I love you’ back?”  
Erik rolls his eyes, a smirk pulling at his lips, “Fine, I love you too, Eleven. Even if you are a pain in my ass.”  
“Literally.” I laugh and kiss him again, my eyes fluttering shut.  
He lets out an amused grunt and sinks into my hold once again, carefully undoing my belt. I ignore it, content just to hold him tight and keep our lips locked together. I tip back when he begins pulling the tunic off, “What are you doing?”  
“What? Did you really expect just to nap?” He asks, tipping his head curiously.  
“I mean, yeah… You looked exhausted.” I frown worriedly at him.  
Erik studies me for a moment, “Well, I’m sure it’ll be a better nap if I sucked your dick first huh~?”  
I blush brightly, “I-I…”  
“We don’t have too though, just thought I'd treat you.” He offers, flashing me his signature smirk.  
“I mean, I won’t stop you if you’re up for it.”  
Erik nods and resumes unbuttoning my tunic, opening it up to run his fingers across my chest. I shiver, his fingers thin and cold against my bare skin. I sink back against the tree, shyly burying my face into the palm of my hand, my skin warming at his touch. Erik laughs at me, feeling me up and gently leaning to kiss at my neck, his teeth grazing lightly. I squeak, his touch making me squirm, gently grabbing at his outfit. He rubs his palms down my chest, gently groping at me through my pants, feeling my gut twist at his attention. I gulp, my breath hitching as he gently kisses scars that I’d collected on my adventure, his touch so kind and gentle yet firm and knowing. He squeezes at my dick a few times teasingly before he pulls my pants down my thighs, finding myself biting my knuckles in anticipation, watching him work. I bite my lip when he carefully traces his tongue down my stomach and carefully frees my length, unable to stifle a gasp when he trails his tongue up the side of my cock. Erik glances up at my gasp, flashing me a smirk as he gently presses his finger down on my tip, earning a squeak out of me, “Oh, aren’t you fun~”  
“I-I… E-Erik~!” Is all I can sputter as he takes me into his mouth, warmth spreading across my body like a tidal wave.  
“Huh, I never thought you would be so noisy…” He teases, carefully letting drool run down my thighs.  
All I can do is whimper against the sensation, a cry escaping my throat when he swallows me down. I fumble to grab his hair, my fingers curling tightly into his blue locks, pleasure bursting across my senses. My eyes dampen, not quite used to this much feeling, head falling back against the tree with a broken cry of Erik’s name. I can feel him smirk, tugging at his hair weakly when he gently begins to pump me as well. His hands make quick work of me, looking utterly delighted to make me squeal, quickening his movements. The man below me bobs his head faster the moment he notices I'm close to orgasm, pressing his tongue down hard on my tip and making my toes curl. I groan, hardly able to muffle myself as he expertly wraps his tongue around me, pumping my length roughly. I sputter out a mantra of “E-Erik, E-Erik, E-Erik~!”, pulling at his hair and squeaking a warning.  
Erik ignores me with a hum that rattles my entire being, the vibration just enough to send me over the edge. I gasp sharply when the warmth in the pit of my stomach hightens, my face scrunching up as pleasure rocks my senses. The other male jerks back just in the nick of time, swallowing what he had gotten in his mouth and grimacing at what paints his cheek. I pant as I watch him merely brush it off, casually fixing my clothes for me. I’m left trembling from the stimulation, burying my face in my hands as I breathe heavily. Erik snuggles close, chuckling, “I told you I’d make you feel better~”  
I laugh shyly, gently hugging him close, “Hah, you’re good at that…”  
He shrugs, “No biggie.” but his smile is full of pride, looking rather impressed with himself.  
I bury my face into his shoulder, “You wanna sleep now or are you gonna sit on me next.”  
“Hey, don’t tempt me with a good time! Nah, I am pretty tired…” Erik pushes me down, gently curling up beside me.  
I press close to him, my breathing slowly beginning to even as we settle down, both pretty quiet now. He crawls into my arms, burying his face into my chest and leaving me to nuzzle into his hair, sighing happily and letting my eyes flutter shut. The world feels quiet and even, a moment of complete and utter peace, filled only by our soft breathing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this sitting in my drive for a few days and forgot to publish it whoops,,   
> also this was my favorite chapter to write so I hope you enjoy :))

I’m jerked awake when I’m kicked, not even sure when I had fallen asleep. I groan, wincing when Erik headbutts me when he stirs, the two of us pulling away from each other with sleepy groans. I look up to meet Mia’s blue eyes, shoving Erik hard. He grunts, “Eleven, what the hell- Oh.”  
Mia crosses her arms, “Helping mum huh? Slinking off to sleep? How typical of you, Erik.”  
He sits up, rubbing sleep from his eyes, “What do you want?” He groans.  
Mia sets her hand on her hip, the same stance Erik had made so iconic, “I just came up here to see the famed view, not find you curled up in the shadows slacking off” she scolds, “You promised me we could go exploring Erik!”  
He groans, rubbing his temples, “Mia, please, my hips are killing me. Just let me sleep for a little longer, I'll explore with you in a bit.” he grunts, grumpy from being woken up.  
Erik is definitely no morning person. He flops back down, crossing his arms and resting his head atop them, lying on his stomach, “What happened to Gemma?”  
His sister scoffs at him, “She had to go help her father and now I have nothing to do!” she kicks him again, lighter than she had when waking us up, “So get on your feet and let's go!”  
I glance over at her, “I could take you exploring if you want?”  
Erik looks at me, “You’d do that?”  
I nod, “I don’t mind as long as Mia doesn’t.” I look at the young girl, who’s looking at me quizzically, “We could let Erik sleep and I'll take you exploring, plus, I can get into a lot more places than Gemma can anyhow.”  
This satisfies her, squeaking when she yanks me to my feet, “Okay! Lets go!”  
I’m forced to follow her, “Bye Erik!” we both yell, the man merely grunting and curling back up.   
He raises his hips, hearing them pop before he settles back down to resume his nap, finding myself disappointed I can’t watch him any longer. I yawn as I follow Mia back down the Tor, the girl happily skipping, “So, what’s it like being the Luminary?”  
I shrug, “Eh, it's kinda hard to explain. It's kinda the same as normal, just everyone either hates you or loves you.”  
She snickers at my words and lets me take the lead when we arrive in Cobblestone again, deciding to find one of the disclosed areas that I can get into with my magical key. She hums, “How did you and Erik meet?”  
I smile at her and happily tell her the tale, her eyes twinkling with interest as we walk. She tells me stories of their childhood in return, finding myself smiling fondly at her to hear the shenanigans of young Erik. Mia grins at me, holding the same mischievous glint in her eyes that I know so well on Erik, “Huh, it sounds like he’s seen some more interesting things with you than he has with me.”  
I smile when I see a big red door, digging in my pockets for the key, “I hadn’t seen anything cool until I met my friends and became the luminary so I guess it’s far.” I reply thoughtfully.  
Mia is quiet for a long moment as I unlock the door for her, “hey, Eleven?”  
I frown at her sudden soft tone, looking at her, “Yeah…?”  
“Are you and Erik together?”  
I’m thrown off by the question, my skin growing hot, “Uh, no.”  
She frowns at me, crossing her arms, “I don’t believe that.”  
I fumble to think, knowing he had said he didn’t want her knowing quite yet. She stares at me quizzically, gulping at the fact my face has turned a bright cherry red, “O-Okay, Maybe…”  
Mia sighs, exasperated, “I don’t care you know.”  
I let the door swing open, “What does this have to do anything anyway? I thought you wanted to explore.”  
“I did until I saw him clinging to you like a damn cat! To think my good for nothing brother ended up with the Luminary!”  
I blush, pouting, “i think he’s good for something.”  
Mia flashes me a smirk as she begins to look through the cavern, “Of course you do!”   
I groan, knowing Eriks gonna kill me when he wakes up. I sigh as she skips ahead of me, feeling guilty I let it slip so fast. At least she took it well. I think. She digs around, picking up a few coins and such, squeaking with excitement at each goodie. She glances back at me, giving me a knowing smirk, “I bet Erik takes good care of you.”  
I frown at the remark, opening my mouth to overshare but think better of it, scrunching my nose at her at the implication. Erik would smack the hell out of me if I say anything more anyway. I let her assume whatever, sighing and wondering how his nap is going. I turn my head when something shiny catches my eyes, spotting a glimmer up in the taller part of the cave. I jog over to it and carefully pull myself up the ledge, squatting down to see what had caught my eye. A drasillian coin sits heavy in my palm, letting out a soft breath, “Whoa, you don’t see these round here.”   
I flip the coin a few times before calling Mia over, helping her up the ledge. She admires the old currency with pursed lips, “Wow! A real drasilian coin! Those are so rare, how’d you find it!”  
“Ah, I just found it. Do you want it?”  
Mia frowns at me, “You know what those sell for right? Like, 1000g and you’re willing to just give it to me? For free?”  
I shrug, “I’ve picked up a few in my travels, you can have it, Mia.”  
She frowns and studies me before eyeballing the coin, her eyes glimmering with awe. She sets one hand on her hip like she doesn’t believe me, brow furrowed. For a moment I think of Gyldygga, a beast fed on Mia’s greed, and notice the resemblance to that corrupted version of her and her now. I see a similar intensity in her, a dark look glimmering in the depths of her blue eyes. I shift into a comfier position, keeping my palm outstretched with the coin, keeping my offer even with the dark thought. Erik could have very easily let me die in Heliodor and he didn't, I know I can trust Mia with a coin even with the knowledge of what she did with a little bit of power. I can see the want in her eyes but she gulps when she looks at me, looking almost terrified to take it from me. I smile weakly, hating the thought of my boyfriend’s only family being scared of me, and carefully lean a hair closer. She frowns and looks away, outstretching her hand, “Ugh, if you don’t want it, i’ll take it off your hands I guess.” She scoffs.  
I drop it into her palm without a second thought, knowing even if she does sell it, she’ll still have better use for it then me. A measly little coin from the fallen Dundrasil means very little to me, I can easily find them in the ruins and I’m pretty sure Amber has a few as mementos. I step away and climb back down the ledge. Mia jumps down behind me, her hand curled tight around the coin. As we continue exploring I notice her admiring it like it’s a diamond, unable to resist smiling at how happy she looks. She grins to herself and keeps it close, skipping along and resuming scurrying to anything that glimmers. I feel my chest warm, feeling an almost brotherly love wash over me. When we head back all I can think about is why I do all this, why I let myself go back and fix everything despite the world at peace, why I let myself march until I dropped with tears in my eyes, why I walk one of the most dangerous roads; the path of the Luminary. When Mia grins and smiles at the people of Cobblestone I'm reminded its for them. Its for people who aren’t heros or soldiers, for the people who’s goal for the day is just to get through it, for people whose existence is the motivation for someone else. Mia may not be anything major, she’s not gonna fight Calasmos, but yet; she’s Erik’s reason for waking up everyday. The thought is wholesome, feeling my chest warm at the restored strength. I glance at the mark of light on my hand, curling my fingers and grinning as I glance to the sky again, seeing the Dark Star in the distance. When I inhale again I feel refreshed, eyes glancing to the Tor where Erik still slumbers. I can’t wait to tell him. I follow behind Mia until we arrive at Gemma’s house, watching the blonde poke outside, “Oh, hey Mia, Eleven! I just finished up if you wanna hang out?”  
I smile, “Yeah, sure, lemme just go get Erik first.”  
Gemma frowns, “Where is he?”  
Mia lets out a dramatic huff, setting her hands on her hips, “Asleep on the Tor! Can you believe it?”  
My old friend covers her mouth as she giggles, “As much as I want to be surprised, that isn’t out of character for Eleven!”  
I roll my eyes, heading off despite the remark, “Yeah, Yeah, lemme go get him.”  
They nod and dismiss me, letting me jog up the path. The climb is ever so tiresome but it's worth it when I see Erik, the man curled up dead asleep. I crouch down beside him, gently nudging him, “Hey, time to get up buddy.” I whisper.  
He groans when he stirs, studying me through half open eyes, “Hey…”  
I smile, kissing his forehead, “Ready to get up?”  
Erik smiles, blushing slightly, “Why don’t you give me a pet name and rub my hips while you’re at it, lover boy.” He snickers, pushing himself up with a yawn.  
I grin and snatch him into my arms, ignoring his squeak of protest and hold him in my lap. He frowns when I set my hands on his hips, doing exactly as he teased me for. I massage his hips with a happy noise, “You still sleepy, baby?”  
Erik groans and pinches me hard, sinking into my arms with a grunt, “Shut up…”  
I laugh against the pain, “You feeling any better though?”  
He nods, “Yeah but you ever call me that in front of everyone, I'll gonna beat you to a pulp.”  
I grin and help him to his feet, “That means I can call you any pet name I want when we’re alone?”   
Erik glances me up and down before he shrugs, starting to head back down the Tor, “Sure, what the hell.”  
I smile so hard my face hurts as I walk beside him, content to let our fingers brush together. He lets me intangle our hands, glancing over at me, “Not sure if Mia gave you the greatest pep talk ever but you look really refreshed, Eleven.”  
“I just found some new motivation for beating Calasmos, that’s all. Just what I needed. We’ll haul off again at the end of the week?”  
Erik smiles, “That’s good to hear! Yeah, end of the week, we wait around too long and Calasmos might just show up at our door.”  
I chuckle, “Yeah, true.”  
We’re quiet for a few moments, climbing back down the Tor to meet up with the others. I glance when the man besides me speaks, “So, how’d Mia take it?”  
I stop, “What?”  
“Mia, how’d she take it?” He gestures to us.  
“You think I told her?” I frown.  
“Oh please,.” Erik laughs, “I know she’d figure it out the moment she saw us together. She’s my sister, give her more credit than that.”  
I pout, crossing my arms, “You made me take a bullet for you!”  
Erik grins, his smile just as toothy and mischievous as always, “Better than you than me!” He smacks my chest playfully before resuming our walk, “Nah, I just knew she’d say something to you about it. She’d be nicer to you then me and I knew you wouldn’t lie so..” he shrugs.  
“Fair enough i suppose. She seemed to take it well but uh, she called me a bottom.”  
Erik lets out a loud laugh, “Pfft, course she did! Yep, that's Mia alright! She’s fine with it.”  
He grins.  
I can’t help but notice how much happier Erik looks almost immediately, relieved to know his sister supports him. We grin at the girls when we finally catch up to them, Mia scoffing the moment she sees her brother, “Eugh, you sleep well?”  
“Yep.” He hums, setting one hand on his hip, “What are we up too now, ladies? Anything we could help with?”  
Gemma thinks for a moment before flashing me a teasing grin, “I talked to your mum, Eleven, and she actually did need help! So, we’re gonna help her!”  
Erik chuckles, elbowing me, “Our lie didn’t get us very far did it?”  
I smile and wince when Gemma pinches my nose, stepping close enough I notice Erik narrow his eyes, “Yep, now you actually gotta work, Lazybones!” she turns away, a pep to her step, “Come on boys!”  
We trudge after her, groaning to be put to work immediately. Mia walks beside Gemma, turning her head to flash us a certain smirk, “Hey, Erik.”  
He meets her eyes, “Hm?”  
“You might want to wipe your cheek.”  
Erik frowns in confusion before stopping dead in his tracks, his face turning blood red when he remembers earlier the same moment I do, “Uh.”  
I feel my skin warm too when he proceeds to hurriedly scrub his cheek with his sleeve, grumbling and scowling at himself. He glances at me for a long moment before he punches my arm, scurrying back up to the others. I squeak, “Ow! It’s not my fault!”  
Erik rolls his eyes but stifles a laugh, following the girls to continue our day of work.

We spend the rest of the day working on chores for Amber, which was strangely nice. Sitting and doing laundry with Erik is such a great feeling, I feel like I could never get enough of domestic life with him. Now the sun has set and our chores are complete, Erik and I heading back to the house to enjoy a few moments of alone time until Mia comes to bed. We both sit in our now shared bed, Erik quietly polishing his knives while I finish sorting laundry into a dresser beside the bed. I sort the freshly washed clothes with ease, considering everyone has such different clothing styles. Erik speaks up after a while, “So, watcha wanna do?”  
I lift my head toward him, “I’m satisfied doing laundry.”  
“Hm, I'm pretty happy with washing up these blades.”  
Silence fills the room again. It’s a long moment of us pondering our activities before I look at him, meeting his eyes, “You thinking what I'm thinking?”  
“You know I am.”  
I grin when Erik attacks my face almost immediately, kissing me hard. I laugh when he pushes me down to the bed, the two of us peppering each other in soft kisses and filling the silence with sheepish laughs. His fingers curl into the hem of my tunic when he kisses me deeply, crawling into my lap and letting out a satisfied groan against my lips. I grope at his hips a few times before I slip my hands underneath his tunic, grasping at bare flesh. He gasps against me, pulling back with a heavy pant. I can’t help but admire how beautiful he looks draped over me, his face red and hair an utter mess with drool dribbling down his lip, my stomach full of butterflies. I know I'm not looking any less ruffled than him, watching as he sits up. He gets off me, expression thoughtful, “You know, i don’t think i'm quite up for anything tonight considering how sore I was today.”  
I sit up too, leaning on my elbows, “Well, it’s not like you get pounded every night either.”  
Erik chuckles, “This isn’t an invite to change that, Eleven.” He scolds me.  
“I don’t really feel like it either.” I admit, both of us falling quiet.  
There’s a certain tension flickering between us, neither of us wanting to waste such good alone time. We both sit in silence, our breath still coming out uneven as we try to think of an alternative, both of us too lazy to actually do anything. I glance over at him when I get a thought, “We could just like, make out till we pass out?”  
Erik thinks for a long moment before shrugging and crawling into my lap again, hugging my neck, “You’re a genius, Yggsdrails knows how much I love you…” he mumbles against my lips.  
I hug his waist tight, returning the passion in his kiss. He runs his fingers through my hair  
as he melts into my grasp, giving well timed tugs that make me let out soft squeaks against him. I pant against him, neither of us letting the other catch their breath. I slam him down against the mattress, smirking at the way he gasps for breath. He tugs at my hair and I bite his lip in response, soft groans escaping us both. Erik winds his legs around my waist, fingers digging into my scalp as he pulls my body closer, barely letting there be any space between our bodies. My thoughts become less and less coherent the longer we’re entangled, finding my vision blackening a few times from lack of air. We fight for control, a sharp gasp escaping me when Erik pins me so hard it nearly knocks the air out my lungs, fumbling to catch my breath against him. We seperate to gulp in air before we’re huffing against each other again, resuming our struggle for dominance. I’m not sure which one of us notices the door creaking open first but when my head smacks against Erik’s, it hurts like all hell. We nearly shove each other to the floor in an attempt to get off each other, looking up to see Mia step inside. She either chooses to ignore us or doesn’t notice, quietly slipping into the home. Erik and I settle down in whatever position we can, feeling disappointment creep over me when Mia curls up in bed. We slowly move into more comfortable positions, sad to have to stop. My heart races in my chest at the adrenaline from nearly being caught, my breath still uneven. It feels like forever before her breathing becomes slow and even, Erik glancing over at me with wide blue eyes, “That was close…”  
“You think she’s asleep?” I ask in a hushed whisper.  
Erik sits up, “Hey, Mia?”  
He’s quiet while he waits for a reply, diving to the other side of the bed when he’s greeted with silence. He picks up a sock and proceeds to hurl it at her, both of us watching it bounce off her. “Erik!” I scold, smacking his arm.  
“She’s dead asleep.” he says casually, looking at me.  
He holds my gaze, “We should go to bed.”  
I nod in agreement, “Yeah we should.”  
Silence again, all except Mia’s soft breathing. I look at him, “I don’t care if you do.”  
Erik glances to his sibling before he shrugs, pulling me right back into his arms. I melt  
against his lips, almost ashamed to rush right back into it. Any self respect I have fades at the way he grabs at me, letting my thoughts fade into a muddled mess once again. Erik doesn’t care anymore than I do, groping and grabbing at me like we don’t have a single care in the world. Our breathing hitches once again, rolling over each other and fumbling to keep one another pinned, the quiet room filling with pants and gasps. When the door comes swinging open again we scramble apart yet again, both fuming to watch Amber come into the room. She hums and proceeds to tidy up, paying zero attention to us. Erik groans when she leaves, looking over at me, “I think this is our cue to just snuggle like normal people.”  
I chuckle, opening my arms for him, “I think you're right.”  
He cuddles up to me despite what we’re both still craving, settling for groping at each other and giggling until we begin to get sleepy. Sleep begins tugging at my senses, my eyes slowly closing when my breathing has finally evened out again, “G’Night Erik…”  
He kisses my chin softly, “Goodnight, Eleven.”  
We both snuggle close but keep enough distance between us that we don’t get hot, soon rolling to opposite sides of the bed when it gets kind of uncomfortable. We still face each other, settling down to sleep. We frown when we hear the girl across from the room stir, my brow furrowing to watch her sit up. Erik can’t see her, concern flashing across his features when her voice cracks, “E-Erik?”  
He moves to get up, my arm catching him to stay still. He whines at me, opening his mouth to speak. I shake my head, “we’re supposed to be asleep.” I whisper.  
“Still, she sounds scared-”  
“We’re right here, Erik…” I mumble, soothing him.  
He nods and presses his face back into the pillows, staying still and listening to her get up. She glances at us before quietly creeping over, lightly nudging him, “Erik?”  
Neither of us stir, both a little too anxious of being called out to react. Mia nudges him slightly harder before backing away, mumbling to herself, “please don’t wake up…”  
He glances at me with a furrowed brow, both of us resuming our fake asleep when she crawls into bed between us. She lets out a soft fearful noise before pressing close to her brother, her back flush against my chest and curling up close to Erik. Surprisingly, it's nearly moments before she’s out like a light, looking extremely comfortable to find somewhere warm to sleep. Erik sighs, looking over at me, “There goes any hope we had at resuming our fun.”  
I chuckle, “Looks like it…”  
He glances down at her, sighing but making sure all three of us are comfortable, “You fine with sleeping like this?”  
I shrug, “Don’t matter to me.”  
He nods, carefully leaning over to give me a soft kiss, “Goodnight then, Eleven.”  
I smile at him, “Goodnight, baby.”  
Erik lets out a grunt but glows bright red, burying his face into his pillow to hide from me. I chuckle to myself and curl up too, letting sleep wash over me. 

When we awake the next morning, Mia is gone, having snuck into bed and left without ever thinking we noticed. Neither Erik and I care enough to call her out on it and we go about our day like nothing happened. We spend the day doing chores for Amber and when night falls again, Mia crawls into bed with us again and disappears by morning. This becomes the normal for the rest of the week we spend in cozy little Cobblestone. Spending the day trying to be sneaky, doing chore after chore, before sinking into bed and Mia stealthy joining us when she thinks we’ll never notice, neither Erik or I complaining about the simple little things of domestic life. Tonight is our last night here and I feel ready for anything, sitting crossed legged on the bed with Erik. Mia is off in the showers, both of us quietly waiting for our turn. Erik looks over at me, “You sure you’re ready to head back out there? I don’t think the others are gonna baby you like I do if you start crying.”  
“I think the disturbing part is that they probably would baby me.”  
“Actually, yeah, you’re right. Still, are you sure you’re okay, Eleven?” He asks, tipping his head at me.  
I nod, giving him a smile and kissing his cheek, “I’m feeling better than ever.”  
Erik returns the smile, “Good to hear, I'd force you to stay another week if you had any hesitance.”  
I lie down on my back, stretching, “Nah, i’ve been thinking about what we’re gonna do when we regroup anyway. I don’t think we’re quite strong enough for another one of Drustan’s trials so we could head back up to Snifflheim and fend off the serpent.”  
He nods, “Sounds good.”  
When Mia comes in the room, Erik gets up to go bathe, leaving the two of us in the room. She sits in her bed, leaving me to continue to plan what I still have to do to ensure we’re as strong as we can be to fight Calasmos. I go over plans and strategies, watching her struggle to get comfortable out of the corner of my eye. She tosses and turns, trying in vain to sleep alone. I hesitate to speak, glancing at her, “Mia?”  
“Mhm?”  
“Erik and I know you’ve been sleeping with us.”  
Mia sits up and glares at me, almost making me squirm at the intensity in her eyes, “I have done no such thing.”  
“We don’t care.” I say softly, turning away from her to resume what I’d been doing, “You can move over here if you want too or not, doesn’t matter to me.”  
Mia looks at me for a long moment, quiet as she slowly lies back down. I don’t move when she decides to get up after all, letting her settle in beside me. She glances at me, “You sure neither of you care…?”  
“Nope, it's fine.” I mumble.  
She lets out a soft grunt and curls up beside me, trying to just ignore me. I don’t say anything, letting her just go ahead and get comfortable before Erik returns. I pause when she speaks up, “You’ll watch out for him out there, right?”  
I look down at her, seeing the fear in her blue eyes. I nod, “Of course I will…”  
She smiles meekly, looking away, “Anything happens to him out there, i’ll kill you.”  
I smile, glancing toward the doorway. I grumble at the thought of Erik using up the last of the hot water, Mia’s voce interrupting my train of thought, “You’ll make sure you come back too right?”  
I glance at her, ignoring her mumble of, “not like it matters or anything.” and hug her tight, “We’ll both come back, I promise.’  
Mia smiles and hugs me back, pulling away after a moment and curling back up. Erik steps into the room, a towel wrapped around his hair, “What are you two doing?”  
“Hoping you left me some hot water.” I grunt, getting up.  
He smiles, “There should be plenty left, Eleven.” He looks over at Mia, “what's up with her?”  
“I told her we didn't care that she’d been sleeping with us.”  
“Oh, okay. Go wash your ass now.” He pecks a light kiss on my cheek with a chuckle before sitting down, pulling out his knives and polishing them again.  
I leave the room with a laugh and wash up quickly, combing through my hair and preparing to return to life on the road. Hopefully it’ll be easy to adjust back. When I finish getting dressed I head back to the room, pausing when I hear talking. I stop outside the door, deciding to listen to the siblings' conversation.  
“Is that a Drassilian shilling? Where’d you find that eh? They’re not found around here…” Erik asks, voice peeked with curiosity.  
Mia responds in a matter-of-a factly manner, “Eleven gave it to me.”  
“Those are worth their weight in gold you know. I could take you by my old pal Derk’s shop tomorrow before we leave and let you cash it out?”  
She scoffs at him, “No way! It's not everyday you find a coin from a fallen city!”   
“Dundrasil is where Eleven’s from, I’m sure he has more he’d be willing to give you. I know you wouldn’t mind having some gold weighing your pockets down, huh?” Erik hums.  
Mia lets out a soft grunt, “I’m not a greedy slob like you, Erik!”  
“You act like you wouldn’t have traded it in a heartbeat before! Oh!” I can practically see Erik’s grin just by his tone, “You only want to keep it cause Eleven gave it to you!”  
“No! It’s just cool!”  
“Aww, he’ll be so flattered when I tell him!” Erik snickers.  
“Erik! You better not! I only tolerate him because he’s your boyfriend!” Mia groans, voice pitching with anger, “Besides, He looks five.”  
“Whatever you say, man.”  
They fall quiet when I step into the room, Mia fumbling to tuck the coin away. I can’t help but grin, happy she enjoys my gift so much. I sit beside Erik, forcing the two to scoot over, “What’d I miss?”  
“Oh nothing, just getting ready for bed.”  
I nod and settle down beside him, Mia moving to the other side of the bed. The room is quiet as we settle down to try and sleep, Erik pressing close to me, “What are we gonna tell the others?”  
I sigh, “I have no idea… I think it’d be kinda weird for them to know?? But yet, it feels wrong to just not tell them.”  
Erik sets his head on my chest, eyes closing as he relaxes, “We don’t have to ever bring it up. We could just act like we normally do and if they figure it out that's fine.”  
“That sounds way better than just randomly bringing it up.” I say with a soft smile.  
He nods in agreement, curling up in my arms, “You ready for tomorrow?”  
“Yep, ready for bed?”  
He chuckles softly, the two of us curling up to sleep, “Yep…”

Morning comes sooner than I hoped, forced to leave the bed’s warm embrace and get up. Erik and I quietly get dressed while Mia sleeps, finishing packing our bags for the trip to reunite with the others. I yawn groggily, the sun peeking in through the window as I dress into my purple tunic, making sure I have everything in my bag. Erik wraps the red piece of fabric tight around his waist, a soft sleepy grumble escaping him as he grabs his stuff too, “Never thought i’d miss being in bed this much.”  
I let out a groggy chuckle, “Me either…”  
My partner snickers and glances at the window, the early morning light shining into the room. He turns away and heads over to the bed, nudging his younger sister, “Hey, Mia.”  
She grumbles, blue hair falling over her face as she lifts her head, “E-Erik?”  
He smiles at her, “Sorry for waking you up but we gotta leave if we want to make any progress today. I’ll see you soon alright?”  
Mia sits up and flings her arms around him, pulling him close. Erik hugs her back equally tight, her face burying into his shoulder. He mumbles something I can’t hear and I decide to give them their space, stepping outside the home. I yawn and stretch, nearly jumping out of my skin to see Gemma already waiting for me. She squeaks at my surprise, putting her hands up, “Whoa, Eleven, didn’t mean to scare you! I was just makin’ sure you two got up!”  
“Yeah, we’re up, he’s just saying goodbye to Mia real quick. Where’s mum?”  
Gemma glances back toward her home, swaying, “She made breakfast for you boys! And Mia of course. It feels so strange to let you leave again, I wish you could just stay... I know you have a job to do, I shouldn’t stand in the way of that.”  
“Don’t worry Gemma, one day i’ll come home for good. I’m just as excited for that day as you.” I smile, hearing the door open behind me.  
Erik and Mia shuffle outside, the younger holding onto the older’s sleeve. Their faces are both red and splotchy, worry washing over me. I squeak when Mia lets go of Erik and groggily stumbles to grab me, hugging me tightly. I hug her back, glancing at Erik worriedly. He doesn’t meet my gaze, crossing his arms and shifting his weight, “We bout ready?”  
“Uh, M-Mum wanted us to swing by and eat first.” I rub Mia’s back gently, wondering what on earth I had missed when I walked away, “If that’s fine with you two?”  
Erik nods his head and ushers Mia in that direction, the young girl grasping at his sleeve once again, “I’m sure Sylvando isn’t at port yet, food sounds nice…”  
I glance at Gemma, the two of us following them, “Is it just me or do they look off…?”  
She nods, sighing, “It's probably hard for them, it's hard for everyone.”   
I whine at the thought of Erik hurting and being unable to help him, stepping inside Dustan’s house. Amber sweeps me into a tight hug the moment I’m inside, “Oh, my little Eleven!”  
I squeak, nearly strangled by her grasp, “Ack! Mum! I’m not gone yet!”  
I can hear Erik chuckle at me, the male sitting beside his sister at the table. They talk in soft voices that I couldn’t possibly hear over the girls swooning over how handsome I look in my tunic, my face beat red at all the attention. I slip away from them just long enough to sit beside Erik, coughing, “As much as I’d love to be groomed all day, we have a boat to catch!” I squeak.  
“Oh yes, silly me for trying to stall!” Amber hums, setting down plates of warm food for us.  
I smile and begin to eat, glancing to watch Erik. He mumbles to Mia in a tone I can hardly make out, the younger just nodding and picking at her food. They keep to themselves, quietly eating and talking, paying no mind to Amber and Gemma peppering me in compliments and attention. I lightly set my hand on top of Erik's, catching his attention. His blue eyes meet mine and when he offers a smile that reaches his eyes, I'm satisfied that he’s alright. We finish quicker than I hoped, being swept off my feet yet again by Amber, “You better take care out there, Eleven! Mother’s orders! You’re always gonna be my little boy, don’t you go forgetting!”  
“I won’t!” I croak, stepping outside with Erik in tow.  
We smile at our families, Mia hugging Erik hard when he mumbles a goodbye. Gemma squeezes me tightly, burying her face into my shoulder, “I already miss you awfully…”  
I hug back, “I know, Gemma, but i’ll be home soon, I promise.”  
She looks up at me, “I’ll wait for you forever, you know.” She whispers, “However long it takes, i’ll be here waiting for you…” She sneaks a kiss on my cheek before letting go, feeling my skin crawl at the way Erik looks at us.  
“I-I know... “ I clear my throat, Erik grabbing my hand.  
He separates us, a flicker of jealousy in his gaze, “Well, we better get going. Thanks for the meal!”  
“Anytime boys!” Amber smiles at us, Gemma waving goodbye.  
We head off after giving Mia one last goodbye hug, heading off towards the sea to board Sylvando’s ship. We walk in silence for a little bit, still groggy from being up so early. I glance at Erik, “Hey, you sure you’re alright?”  
“Huh?”  
“You looked like you’d been crying with Mia…” I mumble.  
“Oh.” Erik sighs softly, “Sorry if I worried you, it's just… It's the first time i’ve had to leave her since getting her back. It’s kinda hard to grasp.”  
“We can go back-”  
He interrupts me, “Absolutely not. We got a job to do, remember! Let me be an emotional baby for a minute, eh?”  
I chuckle at him, his smile genuine enough it eases my concern, “Okay, I get it. We’re both big dumb babies.”  
“Damn right.” He hums.  
We walk in silence again, my head filled with thoughts of battle strategies and tactics. I glance at him after a while, “Were you jealous of Gemma?”  
Erik scoffs, “She nearly kissed you!”  
I rub the back of my neck sheepishly, “Haha, she does that…”  
He grumbles and grabs me by the face, “Mine.”  
Erik kisses me so hard I'm dazed, nearly falling when I stumble after him as he continues walking. I gulp, my face burning red. He grins at me, “Don’t get used to that.”  
“I’m gonna miss you trying to sneak your hand in my pants at the dinner table.” I laugh, walking by his side.  
“Oh, i never said i was gonna stop doing that. Just less surprise kisses.”  
I pout, “I’m disappointed either way!”  
He laughs and punches my arm, shaking his head at me. We spend the rest of the walk laughing and talking, playfully shoving each other. I look up when we arrive before the Salty Stallion, Sylvando grinning at us, “About time darlings! I thought I was going to have to send Hendrik to go get you!”  
Erik boards the boat before me, “Not my fault Eleven’s family didn’t want him to leave!”  
I groan, glancing when Hendrik bows to me, “Ah, Luminary, you are looking very refreshed. Your vacation looks to have suited you both well.”  
“Yeah, I feel ready for anything now.”  
Veronica looks over at me, “You got any ideas for what we’re gonna do today? We still have a dark star to take care of, in case you forgot.”  
Erik scoffs at her, “Geez, we can’t even get a welcome back first?”  
She rolls her eyes, setting her hands on her hips, “You’ll get warm welcomes when you actually get here on time!”  
They stick their tongues out at each other before doing some dramatic motion, marching to opposite sides of the stallion. Sylvando raises a brow at them before glancing at me, “Anywho, Veronica does have a point; where should we head off too, honey?”  
“We should head back up to Snifflheim, we still need to fend off the auroral serpent.” I say, heading over to where Erik is.  
“I think we are strong enough to fight the serpent now, last time we had to retreat if I recall correctly.” Serena says thoughtfully.  
I nod, “Yeah, i’ve picked up a few new tricks i’d like to try.”  
Sylvando clasps his hands together excitedly, tossing a glance over to Dave, “Sniflheim it is then!”  
I watch my companions with a smile, crossing my arms thoughtfully as the boat lurches forward. Jade comes to my side after a while, the pugilist princess smiling at me, “You’re looking well, Hero.”  
I return the smile, “You look pretty refreshed too, did you swing by Heliodor?”  
She nods, “Yes, Rab and I decided to pay a visit to my father and keep him updated on our progress.”  
“Hendrik didn’t come?” I ask, tipping my head.  
Jade shakes her head, “No, he insisted on following Sylvando.”  
“Oh yeah, I saw him when Sylv brought Erik’s sister by. He didn’t even acknowledge us. Erik and I thought they might have been doing the Kingsbarrow trial?”  
Jade thinks for a moment, “Huh, they didn't say anything about it. Speaking of Erik, is he alright?”  
I frown at her, “What do you mean?”  
She gestures her arm to where the former thief is talking to Serena, the blonde covering  
her mouth as she laughs at whatever they are talking about, “I was just wondering about the bruises under his collar. I didn’t think of Cobblestone as a place with very many tough monsters but, I could be wrong.”  
I turn my head to hide my face, letting my hair fall in a way that’ll cover my blush from her sight, “Yeah… Ran into some surprise monsters up on the Tor. No biggie.”  
“Oh, I see.” Jade says with a nod, “I just didn’t think Erik as the type to bruise easy. I mean, he was fine after Octogania, right?”  
“He was sore after that, trust me, he moped about losing forever!” I can’t help but laugh, shifting the subject the moment I can.  
Jade giggles softly, popping her knuckles, "Maybe I should challenge him to a rematch sometime?'  
"I’m sure he'd love that!” I say with a grin.  
The princess stays by my side for a while before she wanders off to poke at Rab, who was not so sneakily reading an ogler’s digest by himself until she joins him. I sit alone for a while, glancing to Erik. The blue haired man is still with Serena, a smirk on to his face as she blushes and giggles at him. I carefully get up, feeling a small flicker of jealousy in my gut. I try to push down the feeling as I head across the boat, pausing when Sylvando slips past me. He starts to head into the cabins below the deck, Hendrik glancing at him. The general clears his throat, neither of them paying any notice to me, “Ah, Norberto- Er, Sylvando, Do you mind if I accompany you?”  
Sylvando eyes him up and down before shrugging, turning to climb into the cabin, “Do as you please, honey.”  
I watch as the soldier follows the jester, the two mumbling as they disappear from sight. Part of me wants to follow, curiosity flickering in my mind, but Erik’s laugh snaps me out of it. I head over to them, more relieved than I’d like to admit to notice her face is merely red from laughter. I join them, soon enough finding myself doubled over giggling too. I’m reminded of the charm of life on the road as the day rolls on, more relaxed than ever. The dark star always hovers in the edge of my vision, it's dark energy a reminder that I cannot get too comfortable. We spend the day sailing the sea, battling monsters that slip on board with my companions proving to be a fun I missed in my days at home. The sea air becomes frosty after a few hours at sea, the sun beginning to sink in the sky as we dock. Snifheim is colder than I remember, everyone bristling at the drop of temperature. All except Erik, who struts along without a care for the bitter winds that bite at your flesh. I envy him for his cold resistance, grumbling as I shiver in my tunic as we head into town. We stock up at the item shop, much to the pain of my bank account, and head off again, the party soon adjusting to the cold. I lead the way through the Snaerfelt and towards the Aborian highlands, our group fending off monsters that decide to cross our path. Night has fallen by the time we arrive at the campsite, deciding to rest and save our strength for the fight tomorrow. The campfire is warm and I'm content after we all fill our bellies with soup, everyone settling down to sleep. Curling up without Erik in my arms is lonelier than I thought it would be, watching him through half open eyes. He’s on the opposite side of the fire from me, one arm draped over his eyes as he lies flat on his back. I honestly can’t tell if he’s asleep or just thinking, shifting to try and get comfortable. Being snuggled in bed for a week really spoils you, doesn’t it? To my relief i’m not the only one struggling, Serena and Veronica grumbling at each other as they try to find the best way to curl up in their makeshift bed. Rab and Erik seem to be the only ones who have no trouble, Jade falling asleep soon after Serena and Veronica. They all fall asleep one by one, Sylvando slumped beside Hendrik as they slowly fall out too. Soon, it's just me awake. I toss and turn by the fire, grumbling and slowly relaxing as I adjust to the hard ground.

I scowl when I’m nudged awake, having just fallen asleep. When I lift my head I meet blue eyes, Erik’s face illuminated by the glow of the fire as he squats before me. He smiles, “You asleep?”  
“I was, no thanks to you.” I grunt tiredly, sitting up.  
He chuckles softly, “I couldn’t sleep.”  
“Me neither, what are you up to anyway?” I ask, rubbing my eyes.  
Erik glances towards the woods, pulling at his tunic strings nervously, “I was wondering if you wanted to uh, you know.”  
I stare at him for a long moment before I process what he’s asking me, my skin turning hot in seconds despite the chill, “H-Here?”  
He rubs the back of his neck, face bright pink, “There’s a nice little secluded area not far from here…”  
I watch him, my face just as red as his, “W-We have a battle to fight tomorrow, are you sure Erik? I don’t want you getting hurt-”  
All it takes is a kiss to hush me, his lips pleasantly warm against mine. His fingers curl into tunic as he pulls back, offering me a soft smile, “As long as you’re easy on me, it’ll be fine. I just thought we might get to sleep a little faster after, eh?”  
I kiss his neck lightly after a moment, giving him his answer. He smirks before taking my hand, pulling me to my feet. I can’t help but giggle as we step over the others, quietly slipping away from the campsite, our fingers laced together. Erik leads the way, soon slowing to a halt at a small dense area away from everyone.The thief looks around thoughtfully before his hand strays to his side, his blade glimmering in the dull moon light. I gulp when he points the dagger at me, a smirk crossing his face, “You fool, I've lured you into my trap!”  
I gulp, the metal pressing against my adams apple, the nervous shiver I get a little more delightful than I’d care to admit, “What trap, Erik? You told me what we were doing when you woke me up.”  
Erik nods his head, “Oh, I know. I just always wanted to do this.” he comments, tracing the dagger along my skin, forcing me to lift my chin to avoid catching the sharp blade.  
He lifts when I’m on the edge of my toes, hardly able to keep away from the point that digs into the soft skin under my chin, swallowing hard at the grin Erik wears, “E-Erik…” I mumble.  
He smiles, his breath warm against my lips before he tucks the blade away in a quick motion, yanking me closer by my tunic and sealing the gap between us with a hum that vibrates my very soul, “Yes, Eleven?”  
I don’t hesitate to lift him up into my arms, his own arms finding their way around my neck, “You sure you didn’t just dream about me, you seem awfully confident~?”  
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Eleven~?” He chuckles huskily, pulling at my hair lightly.  
I groan at the contact, snickering quietly, “You have no room to mock me, this is all your idea!”  
Erik rolls his eyes and leans back against a tree, prompting me to pin him against it, “Shut up before I change my mind.”  
I happily do so, his legs winding around my waist when I press my lips against his. He melts into the touch, tipping his head eagerly as I sink into him. I use my weight to keep him against the tree, our breathing slowly beginning to hitch. He guides me along, silently helping me keep him up without having to hold his whole weight, finding myself just whining against his lips and doing whatever he asks of me. The cold barely deters me now, my mind filling with fuzzy thoughts of the man in my arms only. I let my hand slip into his tunic, fingers smoothing across his skin. Erik shivers, a mumbled squeak escaping from his mouth, which he meekly muffles by kissing me harder. I gulp for air at every opportunity, his fingers digging into the back of my tunic. I press my hips up against his, a spike of delight washing over me when he responds in kind, grinding back on me as much as he can. My noises get muffled against his, both of us grunting and fumbling at each other. When I reach to shed him of his clothes, he swats me with a grunt, voice shaky and breathless, “I-It’s way too cold for that”  
“How else am I supposed to-”  
He sets one finger on my lip, hushing me, “You worry way too much, relax, Eleven, I promise I've got a plan for e-everything.”  
I sigh but smile, my breath coming out in soft shallow pants, watching the resulting haze in the cold air, “You spent all day thinking about this, haven’t you?”  
He rolls his eyes at me, carefully loosening his clothes as much as he can without taking them off, “No, but at least the last twenty minutes were spent thinking about it.”  
I groan at him when he pulls my head into his neck, letting out a hot breath against him. Erik sets his hand in my hair, fingers curling into my scalp when I pepper his skin in soft kisses and bites, careful not to bruise him up like I had before. I let my fingers grasp at his hips, the other pressing closer at the contact. Erik melts at my touch just as much as I do, glancing at me with lust hued blue eyes, “Say, E-Eleven, you gonna prep me this time or you gonna go at i-it raw again?”  
“I know better now, smartass.” I huff at him to his amusement, letting myself fall back against the tree.  
Erik watches me expectantly, noticeably giving me more freedom to take control, than he had before. I hesitate ever so slightly before pulling him against me, his chest pressed to mine. I think for a moment, bearily trying to recall his instructions from the other night. Erik quirks his brow at me when I press my fingers against his lip, my words coming out more like a question than I had hoped for, “Will you shut up if you suck on these?”  
He smirks, “I think I can do that~” he hums before obediently opening his mouth.  
I grimace slightly at the feeling of saliva coating my fingers, his hand gripping my wrist to keep me from chickening out. He gives me his iconic smirk as he sucks on my digits, not even the slightest flicker of shame in his gaze. Just the intensity in his gaze is enough to make me squirm, glancing to where the campfire crackles in the distance. The orange light is dull, crackling just enough I can see it from our spot. Everyone must still be fast asleep.  
“Hey.”  
Erik’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts, looking at the former thief. He smiles at me, pulling my hand out of his mouth, making me squirm with the way he studies me with lidded eyes, “What now?”  
“I-I…” The words die in my throat, flustered by his tone and that damn look.  
Erik waits, snickering, “Huh? Cat got your tongue, Eleven?”  
I shake my head to clear my thoughts, my eyes closing when I kiss him again, trying to melt away any distractions. It works well when he responds in kind, carefully grabbing my wrist to stop me from instinctively trying to dry my hand. I appreciate him catching my clumsiness more than he could know, panting as I pull him closer to me and tilt my head away. Erik studies me thoughtfully and squeaks when I carefully snake my hand into his pants, eyeing him carefully in case I mess up. The smaller male carefully grabs my tunic, slumping against me and spreading his legs ever so slightly. He grumbles when he presses his face into my tunic, inhaling deeply as I press the first digit in. I wince more than he does, anxious he’s gonna yelp or cry out. He does neither, a soft grunt escaping him as he leans in even more. After a few moments I start to move, Erik doing much better than I expected him too. He just mumbles soft moans against the fabric of my clothing, holding me tightly. He nods quickly when I ask if i can try two, a slightly louder noise escaping this time. Once again I flinch way more than he does, “A-Are you sure it doesn't hurt?”  
Erik tilts his head to look at me, “I-It's been a week since last time, not years, Eleven.”  
I sigh quietly, “I-I don’t want to mess u-up…”  
He lets out a soft groan and leans up to meet my eyes, his smile kind, “I’m fine, I promise love, d-don’t stop though…”  
I smile when he gives me a soft loving kiss, gently pressing a third in to his delight, “love?”  
“Shut it.”   
I snicker, gently letting my fingers curl. Erik squeals in response, arching his back and groaning my name, his eyes fluttering shut. He opens them after a moment to give me a glare, “F-Fine, you wanna play like that-”  
I squeak when he reaches his hand into my pants, gripping my length. I grimace when he spits on me without warning, his smirk nearly sadistic as he begins pumping me with no mercy. I bite my lip hard, carefully inserting a fourth finger in response. I catch his eye, both of us glaring at each other even when our eyes water from the pleasure. He scowls as he presses his thumb against my tip, causing me to arch my back with a shrill squeak of, “E-Erik~!”  
I pant weakly as I thrust my fingers, making him a squirming and whimpering mess as well. He grabs me by the collar, tugging me close, “D-Damn you, Eleven…”  
I curse when I pull my hands away from him, forcing him to let go of me as well. I quickly trade positions with him, pinning him against the tree instead. Erik smirks when I lift his legs to wrap around my waist, “Finally…~”  
I can’t help but roll my eyes at the blue haired man, grunting as I part his clothes just enough and bury myself into him in one quick eager motion. Erik gasps sharply and digs his nails into my shoulders, “A-Ah, Eleven…~”  
I bury my face into the crook of his neck, soft pants escaping me as I give him a few moments to adjust. The moment I get the nod I start thrusting eagerly, finding myself thankful that the angle is limiting me, for Erik’s sake. He let’s out feeble cries as I thrust roughly into him, pleasure wracking over both of us in waves. He claws at my back, fumbling out repitive cries of my name, his head falling back as I fuck into him. I grip his hips hard, growling against his skin weakly when I fumble to get the proper grip. He pants, looking at me with watery eyes, “I-If you drop me, j-just now i-i’m gonna kill you…”  
I can’t help but laugh despite myself, shifting to make sure he won’t slip out of my grasp. I can feel my gut burning already, release already close enough I’m clutching him for dear life. Erik is in no better shape than I am, pleased cries and wails escaping his throat as he claws at my back meekly. I sink my teeth into his neck to quiet my own please as I continue my rhythm. Erik groans, biting his lip hard, “I-i’m not far from, h-hah… f-finishing…. Ungh..~”  
His words only send me closer to the edge, struggling not to cave right then and there, letting out a soft mumbled, “m-me too…” in response.  
Erik lifts my face in shaky fingers, burying his face into my hair, “S-Shit, what a g-good  
boy…~” he hums, knowing damn well how weak his praise makes me.  
I whimper meekly, “E-Erik…~”  
He smirks, “C-Come on big boy, d-don’t hold back…~”  
I gasp sharply when he sends me spilling, feeling my face scrunch up as an orgasm  
grips my body. He starts to mock me but my release cues his own, fumbling to cover his mouth to hide the delighted scream that belts out of him. Erik arches his back when he soaks his boxers, trembling and holding me tight. We both pant heavily as we come back down, shifting as I very carefully set Erik down. He collapses on weak legs, grumbling and panting as he fixes his clothes and I do the same. He glances up at me after a moment, chuckling, “That was so worth it…~”  
“I’m tired now.” I laugh and help him to his feet, hugging him close, “You wanna snuggle when we get back to camp?”  
The former thief smiles, “That sounds good. I’m sure everyone is dead asleep since i-it's  
pretty late now. Plus, now I don't want to sleep alone cause you suck.”  
I frown when he starts walking back, “I-I don’t suck! This was your idea! And are you sure you can walk-”  
Erik flashes me a smirk over his shoulder, grabbing my hand when I catch up, “Oh, Eleven, please. This isn’t my first rodeo.”  
“What’s that supposed to mean?!” I squeak, only getting a laugh in response.  
We stealth back towards camp, trying our best to muffle quiet giggles as we head back towards the orange glow. I pause, feeling my heart stop in my throat when we both realize our party is most definitely not asleep. Six sets of very angry eyes fall on us, Erik gulping beside me. Sylvando sits on a stool before us, cross legged and arms crossed with disappointment, “Well, there you honeys are. Slinking back like nothing happened I see?”  
Erik opens his mouth and raises a finger thoughtfully before falling quiet for a few long moments, finding myself merely paralyzed in awkward embarrassment as I wait for him to speak, “Actually, you know what? I think i’ll sleep in the woods tonight. I’d rather take my chances with the wild noble dragons.”  
I snatch his arm when he tries to bolt, hissing at him through gritted teeth,”You are not dumping this on me.”   
Erik stomps his foot but stays put, crossing his arms and staring at the ground like a scolded toddler. I glance at our friends guiltily, everyone varying different degrees of angry. Jade looks so disappointed in me it almost stings, Rab looks an odd combination of proud and disgusted, Hendrik looks almost as embarrassed to have heard us as we are to be caught, Serena looks just as awkward as I, Veronica looks like she might just actually explode, and Sylvando is… quite frankly too terrifying to look at directly. Veronica stomps her foot, “What on earth is wrong with you too?! You ever told us and you have the nerve to go sneak off like a bunch of animals! And! And! And you have the audacity to wake us up too!”  
I rub the back of my neck, staring down at my boots, “um…”  
“We were gonna tell you tomorrow…” Erik fumbles.  
“Sure, darlings, sure.” The disappointed jester huffs, glaring us both down.  
Jade lets out a sigh, “I cannot believe you, Eleven. This is low, I expected better from you. This is’t that surprising for Erik, though.”  
The thief lets out a squeak, “Hey! What the hell does that mean?!” he quiets when I grab his arm as a silent threat, warning him not to dig our graves any deeper.  
Rab pipes up after a moment, shaking his head, “Aye, I agree with the lass… This isn’t very good, laddie.”  
I kick snow meekly, glancing when Erik tugs my sleeve lightly, his voice too soft for the others to hear, “We need to figure out how to get out of this mess.”  
I nod in agreement, looking up at Serena for her input. She meets my eyes on accident, both our faces flushing red, “I-I! I could um…” she coughs, “heal you if you need…?”  
I shake my head so fast hair whips me in the face, Erik spitting out a no. Veronica and Sylvando resume their lecture, my eyes glancing at Erik. His brow is furrowed in deep thought, swallowing hard as we get yelled at. He gasps quietly and turns to look at me, careful not to catch anyone's attention, “We could bring up Sylvando and Hendrik slinking off?? It’s something???”  
I nod shakily, opening my mouth to fumble but nothing comes out. My words stick in my throat when I meet Sylvando’s eyes, gaze terrifyingly familiar. I suddenly feel like a young child being scolded for breaking a pot, feeling like I'm being swatted over the head by my mother with just his eyes. How on earth does he do that?! The man besides me notices i’m locked up, his voice coming out in a desperate squeak as he points at the jester, “Well! You and Hendrik have been hiding something too! We’ve all seen you two disappear a lot!”  
Silence falls for a moment before the jester scoffs, setting his hand on his chest, “At least *I* wasn't foolish enough to be caught!”  
The implication is so obvious Erik and I both feel our jaws go slack, everyone completely sidetracked from us. Sylvando holds his chin high, still glaring us down with little to no shame. Hendrik on the other hand chokes on the water he’d been drinking, proceeding to do a spit take all over Serena. The healer squeals as water is spilled on her dress, utter chaos breaking loose. Everyone yells out “What?!”, even Erik and I giving the two confused glares. Yelling fills the campsite, everyone just as startled and confused as anyone else. Hendrik stands up abruptly, face glowing red with embarrassment and anger. He turns on us so fast I feel the blood drain from my body, trembling and genuinely feeling like this is how it ends. The Luminary, strangled by the hero of heliodor over an accidental outing. What a headline! Hendrik’s voice bellows, silencing everyone and freezing them in their tracks, “Enough!”  
Erik slaps my chest a few times, looking at me with as much terror as I feel, “You think if we start running now we can make it to Snifleim before he catches us?”  
“Are you sure you can run, Erik?” I choke.  
“I’d rather risk eating snow then getting ripped in half!” He yells, ducking when Hendrik lunges towards us and bolting into the Snaerfelt like his life depends on it.  
That’s all the convincing I need, finding myself scrambling through the snowfield after him. We run like we never have before, the embarrassed soldier giving pursuit. We run like foxes in a foxhunt, scrambling blindly and narrowly missing sleeping monsters. The adrenaline is enough to distract from the biting winds, not wanting to know what on earth Hendrik could want. When we see the castle we push even harder, sliding into the gates like it’s nothing. We stand in the city square, eyes darting around frantically for somewhere to hide for the night before we come shamefully crawling back when the heats dies down. Erik grabs my hand, “Oh! Eleven! The motel!”  
“I’ve got some gold!” I squeak when he pulls me that direction, fumbling for the fee  
before we even step inside.  
I toss the gold at the clerk, bolting to find a room alongside my partner. We collapse the  
moment we spot a bed, lying on our backs and breathing hard for several long moments in silence, both utterly winded. I set my hand on my chest, chest rising and falling frantically as I try to get my heart to stop racing. I manage to calm for a few moments but when Erik starts laughing, I'm immediately wheezing too. Neither of us can even utter any words, giggling like utter madmen. It’s a long moment before he can speak, “Oh man, that was terrible!”  
“I can’t believe it worked!” I grin, chuckling and watching him shake snow out of his boots.  
“We’re totally gonna die now, just so you know. We’ve already been disowned.”  
I shake snow from my hood, “I know. Running just made it so much worse. Hopefully everyone will get bored and shut up after a while.” I pray.  
Erik sighs, “If only. This will be spoken of till we die.”  
I laugh softly, staring at the roof, “Yeah, you’re right. What now?”  
He shrugs, pressing close to me, “We could sleep?”  
“I really doubt that damned serpent is anyone’s priority right now. After two bombshells like that? We aren't doing crap tomorrow!”  
Erik snickers softly, “Yep, you’re right”  
“So… How’d you lose your virginity?” I ask, watching his face turn red.  
“Oh wow, Eleven. Wow. What a random conversation starter. But fine, i’ll tell you.”  
I sit up eagerly to listen to him, smiling when Erik laughs awkwardly, “Ah, this cute viking girl had taken a liking to me. She was a little older but I was just excited for anything that wasn’t work, you know? It wasn’t super special or romantic, she was cute and that was pretty much it. I don’t even remember her name...” He chuckles slightly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Only reason I remember the specifics is cause the vikings were livid they found out. I thought my workload was bad before. Mia nearly strangled me too.”  
I can’t help but chuckle at him, “Was it worth it?”  
Erik smirks, “Oh hell yeah it was. No regrets.”  
I smile and shake my head, “You really aren’t a romantic guy, are you? What about your  
other time?”  
Erik just rubs his arm awkwardly, “Ah, no story to it. Just, making ends meet somehow you know… You’re about the most romantic thing that I've had.”  
“Is that why you get so embarrassed when i call you my baby boy? Huh? Darlin-” I squeak when he kicks me off the bed, grunting when I hit the floor.  
When I look at him his face is glowing bright red again, “Yes! Shut up!”  
I laugh at him when I climb back beside him, pressing close, ‘Alright fine.”  
He looks over at me, “Now, what’s your story, Eleven? Let me guess, Gemma?”  
I scrunch my nose up, “No!”  
“That’s surprising… Tell me then!” Erik demands.  
I cough awkwardly, “You were my first.”  
He pauses, “No shit? Wait- You were a virgin and you didn’t tell me!” I duck when he  
swats me over the head, “I would’ve been nicer!”  
I squeak, “I-I didn’t think about it!”  
He groans, shaking his head at me, “You’re a mess, Eleven. You know, that was really  
good for a beginner. I had no idea.” He kisses my temple softly, brushing hair out of my face.  
I shove him playfully, “Shut it…”  
Erik chuckles, both of us squeaking when the door comes up. A snow covered Hendrik glares at us, ruining our few moments of peace. Erik and I both try to bolt, legs flailing when the general just grabs us by the back of our shirts and lifts us up. We kick as he casually brings us back, holding us like we’re just a bunch of run away kids. I try to be mad, to kick at the general and escape but when I make eye contact with Erik, I'm giggling like a mad man. He starts laughing too, both of us sinking into hysterics. Our laughter echoes through the Snaerfelt even when we’re dumped back at camp, everyone glaring at us for bolting. But i just can't stop laughing. Erik can’t either, holding his gut as he wheezes. Tears roll down our faces but we don’t care, unable to stop. Anytime we lock eyes we begin our giggling fit again. Oh man, they are never gonna take us seriously again after this.


End file.
